Evaluate Plato's view of the soul - SM&B Flashcards
Introduction - define
The body and soul are separate
Body - physical and imperfect
Soul - immaterial and perfect
Dualist
Section 1: theme
The body and soul are separate entities
Section 1: AO1
THE BODY AND SOUL AS SEPARATE
The body and soul are two separate entities. The body is the temporary physical aspect of a person whereas the soul is the immaterial essence of a person. The body is temporarily united with the body but can leave to go elsewhere. This is likewise to the soul being like a driver of a car, the driver inhabits the car for a while but can also leave to get off and go elsewhere
Section 1: AO2 FOR
THE BODY AND SOUL AS SEPARATE
The soul animates a person by giving a person life; so if a soul is a life-giving essence then it would be contradictory for it to die as it must always have life
Argument from opposites: Every quality comes into being from its own opposite e.g. for something to be big something must be small. This would mean that life comes from death and death comes from life in an endless chain of death and rebirth
Section 1: AO2 AGAINST
THE BODY AND SOUL AS SEPARATE
Bernard Williams – identity comes from body ; Vardy: if our body (brain) controls emotions/ senses/ memories what is exactly left without a body
In discarding this Plato misses a vital part of what it is to be human
The argument from opposites seems to be an assumption. For example, not everything has an opposite, e.g. what would be the opposite of the colour blue? There is no need to assume that the soul exists or is the opposite of the body
Section 2: theme
Plato – the immortality of the soul
Section 2: AO1
IMMORTALITY
In Phaedo Plato writes about the immortality of the soul. After the body died, the soul would continue towards immorality and leave the body to renew its contemplation of the Form of the Good. It would be able to reach the highest state of perfection as it would no longer be distracted by constant bodily demands.
Section 2: AO2 FOR
IMMORTALITY
The argument of recollection: people can recognize beauty in different things such as a sunset/flower. Although they are different our soul has previously witnessed the Form of Beauty before being incarnated in our body and can still recognise it
Slave boy Meno ¬– an uneducated slave boy was able to answer a series of maths problems because the knowledge was innate and recollected by the soul.
Section 2: AO2 AGAINST
IMMORTALITY
Beauty and justice are subjective - different people find different things beautiful it is not universal
In Plato’s example of the slave boy, Socrates’ questions seem to lead the boy to the answer step by step. Even without an education, he could arrive at the answer by learning, not recalling
Section 3: theme
Plato’s ‘tripartite view’
Section 3: AO1
TRIPARITE VIEW - METAPHOR
When Plato wrote about the soul he used the metaphor of a chariot being pulled by two horses. The two horses ‘appetite’ and ‘emotion’ basic needs pull us along and motivate us ; they are controlled by the charioteer ‘reason’ who holds the reigns and ensures the appetite and emotion work together in a rational direction. However, sometimes the bodily desires or emotions take over and we are driven by greed or anger
Section 3: AO1 FOR
TRIPARITE VIEW - METAPHOR
Plato does seem to describe the human experience of inner conflict. For example, I may know that I should go to the gym to keep healthy, but I feel too tired or lazy, or I choose to go to the coffee shop instead. This could mean that reason is not in control of my soul.
However useful as a metaphor – can help people make more reasonable decisions and try and control their ‘appetites’ and ‘emotion’ which can help us grow as better people
Section 3: AO1 AGAINST
TRIPARITE VIEW - METAPHOR
This inner conflict could be simply explained as emotion, personality type, or a lack of maturity
No verifiable evidence of an immaterial soul as something extra and beyond the body
