StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...

Examine some aspect of Plato's theory of the tripartite soul from Plato's Republic - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
Name: Instructor: Course: Date: Plato’s Theory of the Tripartite Soul from Plato’s Republic Plato (428-348 BC) was evidently one of the greatest and most influential Greek philosophers. He was the teacher of Aristotle and a disciple of Socrates. Majority of Plato’s works are written in the form of dialogues and a lot of them featur Socrates as the main character, who founded the Academy of Philosophy…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER98.2% of users find it useful
Examine some aspect of Platos theory of the tripartite soul from Platos Republic
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Examine some aspect of Plato's theory of the tripartite soul from Plato's Republic"

Download file to see previous pages

The main objective of this study is to exhaustively tackle this paramount issue by proposing three views: first of all, Plato’s account of the soul would not have committed him to the view that within each part of the soul there are sub-divisions; secondly, the harmony and unity of the soul cannot be achieved by conversation and violence, but only through education. Lastly, by exploring Plato’s education program in The Republic, it is clearly evident that education is the fundamental means of bringing the three parts into harmony and thus makes them one rather than many (8).

In the Republic, Plato strongly proposes that the human psyche is divided into three parts mainly appetite, spirit and reason. Through the use of the tripartite soul theory, Plato effectively gives an account on how man can be virtuous. A man who is virtuous is one whose three parts of his soul participate in their appropriate and efficient roles and they are in harmony with each other. It is clear that the paramount concept of order is not only fundamental to the just state but also to the just man.

In Plato’s view, the just man cannot be acknowledged without referring to his harmonious and orderly soul. Therefore, the human virtue is dependent on how these psychological elements which are three can harmoniously interact with each other (17). The Tripartite Soul In order to elaborate that people perform each of the three functions with different parts of their soul, Socrates puts forward a principle that “one and the same thing cannot act or be affected in opposite ways at the same time in the same part of it and in relation to the same object”.

This principle is referred to by scholars the Principle of Conflict or Principle of Opposites. In accordance to this principle, it is impossible for something to be at rest and in motion at the same time and in the same part of it. Plato deals with two probable objections to this principle to remove any ambiguities in using it. One is that it is wrong to say that a man, who is standing still and moving his hands, is at rest and in motion simultaneously. Rather, the statement should be that part of the man is standing still and another part of him is moving.

The other one is that a spinning top whose circumference is in motion, but whose axis is at rest is moving in one respect but not in another. Plato at this juncture thinks that this noble principle is valid and thus goes on to use it in order to exhibit that there are three parts in the soul (22). Plato states that dissent and assent, aversion and impulse to something are opposite states or actions. Thus, thirst, hunger and appetite desires can be classified as impulses to drink and food. Consequently, man is sometimes unwilling to eat or drink yet he is hungry or thirsty.

Thus, according to the Principle of Opposites, there is an element which is different from the one that drives people to crave for food or drink, preventing people from craving it. The element preventing people from giving way to various unhealthy cravings is reason (39). Additionally to the function of prevention, characterization of reason by Plato is through numerous different ways. Reason is said to be the calculative or reflective element. It is also

...Download file to see next pages Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Examine some aspect of Plato's theory of the tripartite soul from Essay”, n.d.)
Examine some aspect of Plato's theory of the tripartite soul from Essay. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/philosophy/1469515-examine-some-aspect-of-plato-s-theory-of-the
(Examine Some Aspect of Plato'S Theory of the Tripartite Soul from Essay)
Examine Some Aspect of Plato'S Theory of the Tripartite Soul from Essay. https://studentshare.org/philosophy/1469515-examine-some-aspect-of-plato-s-theory-of-the.
“Examine Some Aspect of Plato'S Theory of the Tripartite Soul from Essay”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/philosophy/1469515-examine-some-aspect-of-plato-s-theory-of-the.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Examine some aspect of Plato's theory of the tripartite soul from Plato's Republic

Platos Defense of the Republic King in the Republic

The focus of the paper "plato's republic" is on the “Statesman” and the “Law”, political dialogues, the political philosophy, approach of Plato, conceptual analysis, political philosophy, the requirement based on rational reality, the idealization of the Good.... The continuum representing the movement from clarification of analysis by the virtue of evaluation of beliefs to attain the goal of best political order is enunciated in the structure of plato's republic....
20 Pages (5000 words) Essay

Plato Discusses the Good Life in The Republic

In the republic Plato discusses the good life, in reaching harmony through pure reason and justice.... The centre in his social settings are to find a real republic in way that everybody could live the perfect life for him.... In this book Plato explains how to create this republic in using the dialogues of his mentor Socrates.... From that perspective and this angle this essay is going to discuss this theory In the republic Plato discusses the good life, in reaching harmony through pure reason and justice....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

The Necessity of Justice

The main project of plato's republic consists of finding the definition, in an absolute sense, of the concept of justice—a notion in the Ancient Greek world widely believed to be a cardinal virtue along with temperance, moderation, prudence, and so on.... However, the inevitable question comes about from Thrasymachus, who asks “what if one can get away with being unjust?... Freed of legal and social responsibility (the invisibility of the Ring of Gyges represents immunity from justice), any man could not, and so would not, feel any need for the virtue of justice....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Plato's Republic

The review "plato's republic" portrays the ideal city where individuals must serve society, society, in turn, exists to serve individuals.... Men and women are to have a common way of life all children, unaware of who their biological parents are, will treat each other as brothers and sisters… The republic is a philosophical treatise concerned primarily with the question of justice and with the living of a just life.... However, The republic relies quite heavily on analogies between the individual self and the political state....
11 Pages (2750 words) Book Report/Review

Platos Aristocracy and Tyranny

It embodies the wisdom of philosopher-kings [Aristocracy…] Plato's affinity for aristocracy may be initially traced from plato's family background.... One of the major features of The Republic is Plato's political theory of an ideal state which he claimed to be Aristocracy.... In the paper “Plato's Aristocracy and Tyranny” the author analyzes an idea of what Plato has constructed in his mind about an “ideal state” in his book “The republic”....
7 Pages (1750 words) Term Paper

Platos Republic and Political Nature

This paper "plato's republic" focuses on a whole series of works of political nature that draws readers to the best types of public organizations to ensure the happiness of the individual, according to philosophers.... However, the huge educational truth, which is clearly represented in the republic - is a strong correlation of the image of man and space where the person is placed.... Into the acknowledgement of these words it is possible to use the following quotation: “It is obvious from the republic that Plato shares Socrates preoccupation with ethics and with definitions, but it also seems obvious that he soon abandons or significantly modifies Socrates' method of inquiry, as well as some of his specific doctrines” (Plato X)....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Comparative Analysis of Russell's Theory of Knowledge and Plato's Doctrine of Anamnesis

This study discusses the pursuit of comparing the theory of knowledge by Russell and anamnesis doctrine by Pluto it is important to understand the concept knowledge, how to acquire it and how it affects our daily to daily living.... The theory of knowledge is the result of human doubt (Marxists.... nbsp; The Platonic theory of anamnesis is mainly subjective to Orphism and Pythagoreanism and a belief in transmigration of souls (Koehler, 1972)....
5 Pages (1250 words) Case Study

A Critique of Plato's Just Society Using the Notion of Fairness From John Rawls

nbsp; The most explicit discussion of the tripartite part of the soul and the primacy of reason therein occurs in the fourth book of the Republic (435b).... This is a 'chain of command', so to speak, which will be explored both as it is outlined in this section of the republic, but also in terms of how this is established in the three classes of the state [Haworth, 2004, p.... By contrast, Rawls viewed inequality as created by the distribution of wealth, and while plato's ideal was a harmonious soul, Rawls ideal was equality itself....
14 Pages (3500 words) Assignment
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us