"Leontius, the son of Aglaion, was going up from the Piraeus along the outside of the North Wall when he saw some corpses lying at the executioner's feet. He had an appetite to look at them but at the same time he was disgusted and turned away. For a time he struggled with himself and covered his face, but, finally, overpowered by the appetite, he pushed his eyes wide open and rushed towards the corpses, saying, "Look for yourselves, you evil wretches, take your fill of the beautiful sight!" (440a)
The individual self is in direct comparison with the layout and or characteristics of the city--they both have multiple parts controlled by different aspects of the bigger picture. Plato mentions two, maybe three major parts of one's soul. There is the rational part which makes the calculated and educated decisions, the "spirit" which helps the rational part in multiple ways, and the "irrational appetitive part", which partially controls the lust, "hungers" and "thirsts". The appetitive part controls more of your being, and therefore makes you more spontaneous and harder to control. You have to spend most of your life learning to tame this part of yourself, and like the quote mentioned about, it is extremely difficult. Therefore I believe that "self mastery" is one of the hardest things to accomplish, and most people are overcome with certain needs that they are unable to tame. Certain parts of the soul, mainly the irrational part, can completely take over, and Plato discusses how life skills practiced daily can help eliminate this problem, and mesh the many parts of the individual together. He discusses how physical training, poetry and music are the key components to taming said soul, to make it "harmonious, stretching and nurturing the rational part with fine words and learning, relaxing the other part through soothing stories, and making it gentle by means of harmony and rhythm?" (441e) You are somewhat subject to what your soul desires, and the only way to stop these desires is by practicing these skills and so taming the soul.
Plato also mentions that by taming and melding these certain aspects of your individual soul into one, you become just. Being just, Plato says, is what every man should try and achieve in life. Even if injustice can bring you a better life style, "how can it be worth living when his soul--the very thing by which he lives--is ruined and in turmoil?" (445b) Plato believes that every man should be just, just like a city should be just and have a good, firm background made up of multiple parts that can go hand-in-hand. To be able to tame the irrational appetitive part of your soul, you are able to control yourself in a better manner, by making better life decisions and not being held back by anything that isn't necessary. Rational part shall rule, and everything else shall obey.
Katie your ideas are cohesive and seem to clearly demonstrate that the life of one is better once they avoid and prevent desire. the one confusion i have is when you say "you are able to control yourself in a better manner, by making better life decisions and not being held back by anything that isnt necessary". is the rational part of the mind the only thing that is necessary? you should try to clarify this a little more. also is the right way to live simply by never succumbing to desire, or is that just the way plato thinks it.
ReplyDeletegood job kates! let your irrational appetite obey your rational mind.
Katie,
ReplyDeleteNicely argued and I like the quote at the beginning very much (it's one of the most memorable from the entire Republic).
Question: When you say: "You have to spend most of your life learning to tame this part of yourself" or "the only way to stop these desires is by practicing these skills and so taming the soul" -- what do you mean by the word "tame"? Do you mean that we need to have the desires for the irrational things but control them and only let them out on selective occasions? Or, do you mean that we need to completely eliminate them into submission to our rational wants? Is the best man the one who only wants what he should have?
Elise--no i definitely don't think you should completely eliminate your desires, because of course that is a huge part of who you are (like Plato says). I just believe what he is saying (and what i agree with), is that you should somewhat control these desires enough so that they aren't controlling you. Of course a man can be equally good if he succumbs to a few desires, but it definitely needs to be on a certain level, and this is where Plato believes that by "taming it" or controlling it a certain amount by specific skills, you will be a better, most just person.
ReplyDeleteMiles--I definitely do not believe that the rational part of your soul is the only necessary thing, i just believe, like Plato, that it is possibly the most important because it makes you more educated in decision making, rather than just going with whatever you desire, with no though behind it. Like Plato said, you are able to make better, more thoughful decisions in the rational part of your soul.
Thanks for the comments!