Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Plato's View of the Soul


Plato (427-347 BCE) Ancient Greek philosopher, student of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle.
Please comment below on Plato's account of the psyche or soul.

4 comments:

  1. Plato's view of the soul is very distinct from the view of other philosophers. He believes that our physicality and our visible realm is constantly changing, therefore our soul is mortal and imperfect. We perish, therefore we die and the unchanging soul is immortal and perfect. Plato believes there are 3 parts of the soul and he envisions the soul or self as a charioteer and a pair of winged horses. The charioteer is the reason and controls his two horses that symbolize passion and appetite. In order to achieve happiness, the reason (the charioteer) must always control passion and appetite and must not let passion or appetite be in control and take over. I agree with Plato because sometimes we let our emotions take over us and we are not thinking or reasoning how we should be. We don't always have the time to reason or reflect on our actions or the consequences. Reason takes over because it enables us to think deeply, make wise choices and achieving a true understanding.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Plato introduces the idea of a three part soul/self. It consists of Reason, Appetite and Spirit/Passion. The soul is governed by Reason, and therefore keeps one's emotions and one's appetites under control. They must submit to the dictates of Reason. Plato believed that genuine happiness can only be achieved by people who consistently make sure that their Reason is in control of their Spirits and Appetites. I agree with Plato’s concept of the soul because as we make decisions about how to live, our minds give due regard to our emotional and physical needs, and each of the three parts performs its proper role. The mind is in control, and our emotions help us follow the mind's judgment, particularly when it goes against our physical desires. I agree with Plato also that those who are not in control of their physical appetites or emotions will experience personal, intellectual and spiritual failure. So if we allow either our bodies or emotions to control us, Plato thinks that there is a strong chance that we will behave unethically in order to get what we want, which to me is true. For example, there are people who let their bodies dominate their lives (physical appearance) while emotions (feelings for another) can dominate others lives and when this occurs, Reason isn’t involved which only causes negativity, because your just making decisions not based on reason, but on servicing one’s wants, not examining the morality of their actions.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I agree with Plato's view and Shirley because life could be out of control and we allow our emotion take control over Reason. I would give her an A

    ReplyDelete