  We study the retarded response function in scalar $\phi^4$-theory at finite
temperature. We find that in the high-temperature limit the imaginary part of
the self-energy is given by the classical theory to leading order in the
coupling. In particular the plasmon damping rate is a purely classical effect
to leading order, as shown by Aarts and Smit. The dominant contribution to
Landau damping is given by the propagation of classical fields in a heat bath
of non-interacting fields.
