Plato on Reality and Immortality

This week we turn to Plato of Athens.
In Ch. 3, we read the "Allegory of the Cave" from Republic and the remainder of the Phaedo.
They introduce several concepts central to Plato's world-changing philosophy.
e.g., his account of the eternal, unchanging Forms
e.g., his presentation (via Socrates) of four arguments for the soul's immortality
Be considerate, courteous, and respectful!
Remember, this is both a professional and an academic learning environment.
At minimum, I'd like you to share a few paragraphs answering ONE of the two questions below.
(A) Did numbers, themselves, exist before people started counting things?
Explain your reasoning.
Then, compare/contrast your views with what Plato believes about the Forms.
Be sure to quote relevant passages from Ch. 3 to support your analysis.
See, e.g., The Theory of the Forms
See, e.g., Kagan on Arguments for the Soul's Immortality in Phaedo (1 of 4)
----- OR -----
(B) Of the four arguments for the soul's immortality we find in the Phaedo:
Which do you find the most convincing? Why? Be specific and cite relevant passages.
Which do you find least convincing? Why? Be specific and cite relevant passages.
See, e.g., Phaedo (Links to an external site.) (IEP) for reference
See, e.g., Kagan on Arguments for the Soul's Immortality in Phaedo (2 of 4)
See, e.g., Kagan on Arguments for the Soul's Immortality in Phaedo (3 of 4)
See, e.g., Kagan on Arguments for the Soul's Immortality in Phaedo (4 of 4)