Q0007
“Let us not become haters of argument — that is a great…” — Plato (Phaedo 89d)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Phaedo 89d. Theme: reason.
English
Let us not become haters of argument — that is a great danger to the soul.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Phaedo 89d and files it under Platonism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Plato
Plato (c. 428/427–348/347 BCE) was an Athenian of high birth, a devoted associate of Socrates, and the founder of the Academy.
Interpretation
Socrates says this in the Phaedo after a long argument has failed to convince, and he is naming the real risk. His claim is that repeated disappointment with argument produces misology — a settled distrust of reasoning itself — which he compares to becoming a hater of people after being deceived by a few. The danger is that the person loses the capacity that could have corrected the error. His remedy is to blame the misuse of argument rather than argument.
Why it matters
It describes a real trajectory: cynicism about reasoning often follows from expecting more of it than it can deliver, rather than from seeing through it.
Concepts in this quote
- Reason
- Reason is the capacity to give and assess reasons—central to logic, science, ethics, and public argument.
- Wisdom
- Wisdom is practical insight under uncertainty: knowing what matters, what one does not know, and how to act without false certainty.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Plato. (n.d.). Let us not become haters of argument — that is a great danger to the soul. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0007
MLA: Plato. “Let us not become haters of argument —….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0007.
Chicago: Plato. “Let us not become haters of argument —….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0007.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “Let us not become haters of argument —…”?
The passage is attributed to Plato, Phaedo 89d. The archive attributes this English wording to Phaedo 89d and files it under Platonism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Plato mean by reason?
Philosophers disagree about whether reason is the slave of the passions, the legislator of morality, or one tool among others. The quotations here keep that disagreement in play. This passage enters that discussion through reason, wisdom.