Monday’s dialogue was focused on exploring some common theoretical ground underlying representations of the afterlife found in both the Classic and Italian traditions. We discussed Platonic philosophy, specifically the epistemology and eschatology (or final destination) of the soul illustrated in Plato’s Phaedo. We also discussed Christian doctrine, which makes up the theoretical framework of the Commedia, and pointed out how the notion of the immortality of the soul is still valid, even though the epistemology of the soul is being substantially re-thought (cf. Purg. XXV), in the light of Christ’s resurrection of the body professed in the Acts of the Apostles (
St. Paul, Thessalonians 4, 13-18 ; Acts of Apostles 17, 22-32) . In addition to that we also devoted sometime exploring what we take to be another important area of common ground in the two traditions: namely the fact that the soul’s final destination described by Dante in the Commedia is strikingly similar to the one envisioned by Plato in the Phaedo. At the same time we have tried to continuously keep the students aware that this evident continuity between the two traditions is always associated to differences, and have emphasized the fact that Dante is capitalizing on the Platonic intellectual capital, yet does not absorb it a-critically.
On Wednesday, as we continued to explore the common ground that the representations of the afterlife in both traditions rest on, we have talked about another important concept: metempsychosis or soul migration and return to earth, very much in a fashion of a journey (Phaedo). Plato contemplates the possibility of a real journey that the soul undertakes under the guidance of a spirit or daimon; it is a journey of purification and transcendence that leads to a perfected notion of the Truth — the fulfillment of every philosopher’s aspiration. It only suffices to read the first Canti of Inferno to realize that the whole Commedia is nothing but the written account of a journey to the afterlife, undertaken by the author himself, who has then returned to the realm of the living, in order to write about it. What is more, during this journey Dante is being accompanied by no less than five different guiding souls (Vergil, Statius, Matelda, Beatrice, St. Bernard). Considering all these elements of continuity with the experience described in the Phaedo, it is difficult not to talk about Dante’s experience as a sort of ‘metempsychosis’. In fact, we have argued, the Platonic experience of metempsychosis seems to constitute the blueprint for the journey described in the Commedia. To be sure, considered as a whole, Dante’s journey represents an experience of purification and transcendence that, as it is the case for Socrates, leads to a perfected notion of the truth — by the time Dante gets to look at God he has virtually shared into the Truth. We were also quick to point out that this does not mean that Dante’s journey to the afterlife is the same as that described by Plato. There are, in fact, clear signs in the texts that suggest a willingness to depart from both Platonic and Aristotelian philosophies (Purg. III, IV and XXV). Dante’s experience of the afterlife, we have concluded, is arguably built on the grounds of Plato’s idea of metempsychosis — and in this respect the Commedia displays a striking degree of continuity with respect to the Classic tradition — however the means end ends of that experience ultimately are specifically tied to the universe of Christian theology. In this respect we have invited our students to compare how these two texts conceive the body, the senses, and most importantly RATIO (reason), in order to become aware also of the fundamental differences that exist between them.
