Three Aspects of the Soul

Three Aspects of the Soul

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Three Aspects of the Soul

Different philosophers have various aspects for which they divide the human soul. Freud, for example, has three divisions; ego, id, and the superego. Another argument gives the conscious-subconscious- supraconscious. On the other hand, the republic theory of the soul also gives three aspects. This theory argues that the human soul is divided into; the reason, the appetite, and the spirited. Moreover, Plato also gives three aspects appetite, the spirited, and the mind. Plato's aspects are similar to the Republic theory's aspects of the soul (Santas, 2013). Plato's explanation of the three aspects are;

The appetite – It is the part that is concerned with several desires of different categories, the satisfaction of the body, comforts, and the body's flexibility and ease (Santas, 2013). The appetites are many to the extent that they are innumerable. According to him, appetites can conflict with each other. This part of the psyche he represents with the ugly black horse.

Spirited-This part is what gets emotional when it is triggered and gets angry in cases of injustice; it loves victory, honor, and challenge. It also loves overcoming great challenges. Speaking of the spirited part of the soul, Plato means one that has power or strength. He represents this particular part of the soul with a white horse (Santas, 2013). The third aspect of the soul which is the mind is represented by the charioteer who is guiding the horses. The mind thinks, focuses ahead, analyzes, and considers the best opinions of all the possibilities that exist.

There exist different organizations of the three aspects. However, the most proper organization is one in which the reason rules the spirited and the appetite. The appetite is under the direct control of the mind. In this organization, there is harmony since the reason knows what is right and wrong.

In the presence of some factors that are objects of pleasure in spirit and the appetite, the appetite and the spirit can drive the human organism to action. In this wise, spirit and appetite are related. Notwithstanding, it is also important to note that belief comes from reason. Considering a behavior like smoking, the appetite will always form a habitual desire because smoking has been a pleasure. The habit tends to build for some time until it becomes strong enough not to be resisted. However, the reason may be discovered at some point that the consequences are baleful. The appetite is, therefore, able to associate the pain with smoking (Carpenter, 2010). In such a case the reason has triggered the appetite to take less participatory action in smoking.

The republic theory sheds greater light on Plato's theory. One of these is the incorporation of some features of the theory of the soul. Such features are; responsibility in the life of the human organism and cognitive functions for moral virtues (Lorenz, 2003). Human organism does good things when they have relevant virtues and do badly when they have appropriate vices. One of the functions of the soul is living. The soul has the duty of rulership, caring for things, and such like.

The soul accounts for the life of an organism by considering the kind of life that the person in question leads. How the different human organisms lead, life is different based on the different ways in which they exercise cognitive functions. The existence or nonexistence of the virtues of wisdom temperance or justice is responsible for the differences.

References

Santas, G. (2013). Just city and just soul in Plato’s Republic. In Reason and Analysis in Ancient

Greek Philosophy (pp. 171-195). Springer, Dordrecht.

http://tomblackson.com/Ancient/chapter53.html

Carpenter, A. D. (2010). Embodied intelligent (?) souls: plants in Plato’s

Timaeus. Phronesis, 55(4), 281-303.

https://philosophycourse.info/platosite/3schart.html

Lorenz, H. (2003). Ancient theories of the soul.

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ancient-soul/