At death soul and body are separated, but the philosopher will anticipate this separation so far as may be during his life. Setting no value upon bodily adornments and physical pleasures, he will seek to attain intelligence (ϕρόνησις); in this, body is a hindrance, for the activity is that of the soul by itself; ‘the just itself’, ‘the beautiful itself’ and other like objects are not to be apprehended by any of our senses.

The section ends with an impassioned declaration of faith put into the mouth of an imaginary philosopher, in which the opposition of body and soul is given heightened expression: the soul must be purified from the body's infection. Such purification can only be fully achieved at death; but the life of the true philosopher will be a preparation for and an approximation to it.

‘Do we believe there is such a thing as death?’

‘Undoubtedly’, replied Simmias.

‘And by death do we not mean simply the departure of soul from body? Being dead consists, does it not, in the body having been parted from the soul and come to be by itself, and in the soul having been parted from the body, and being by itself. Can death possibly be anything other than that?’

‘No, it can only be that.’

'Well now, turn your mind to this, and perhaps you will find you share my view.