Plato\'s Theory of the Soul

Plato's Theory Of The Soul

Plato argues that the soul is made up of three different parts, consisting of the appetitive, the rational, and the spirited. The appetitive is that part which is driven by lust and the need for satisfaction of basic desires such as food, sex, and the like. The rational is that part which is drive by the desire for knowledge and truth. The spirited is that part which is driven by a desire for such high-minded concepts as honor and victory. In Plato's view, the rational side of the soul should rule, aided by the spirited side. When properly combined, these two control the appetitive. The key to Plato's view of the soul is that a balance must be achieved between the three sides of the souls so that proper psychological order is maintained.

Plato's three-sided souls corresponds generally with his view of the just society, which (when properly ordered) consists of the philosopher-rulers governing, aided by the guards, and driven by the workers. Plato uses a metaphor for the soul which could also apply to such a society, showing that a charioteer (the rational) drives a pair of horses, one of which is white and majestic (the spirited) and mindful of the charioteer, and the other of which is black and unruly (the appetitive) and must be taught to follow. This view corresponds roughly with Freud's analysis of the soul, which consists of the unconscious id, dark and ugly, needing to be molded by the ego, which balances needs and maintains order, both sitting under the super-ego, which represents the wisdom of social convention and knowledge. Plato believes that in constructing the soul in this way he is able to define morality as those actions which tend to bring the soul into balance, just as by defining society in the way he does he thinks he can define justice. The key to both morality and justice, according to Plato, is order.