Philosophy and medicine in Plato’s Charmides

Abstract

The article reflects on the relationship that Plato establishes between philosophy and medicine in the Charmides dialogue. My interest is to show that the link between them stems from an analysis of two elements of Socratic maieutic: exhortation and enquiry, so that if philosophical discussion, in its search for the truth, has a pedagogical character, at the same time it produces a state of purification, in those that maintain it, which is typical of medicine.

The philosophical dialogue for Plato has a purifying character in the soul of the one who listens, just as medicine has it in the body that is healed by it. Philosophical discussion purifies the soul from its state of ignorance and leads it to a state of harmony by making the true philosopher a doctor of souls.