My Sunday Thought for 061018: Plato's Theory of Soul

“The buying of more books than one can read is nothing less than the soul reaching toward infinity...”

-- A. Edward Newton (1864-1940), author, publisher, book collector

When I first saw "tripartite" I thought it might be some ancient Greek word for a single country where three separate cultures practice racial segregation against each other, but I was wrong again; it was just Plato working overtime.

According to the ancient Greek philosopher, the soul consists of a "tripartite" of reason, spirit, and appetite.  Personally, I found Plato's order of the tripartite to be in error.  I would place "appetite" above "spirit" for what I feel is a fairly obvious reason.  Let's first look at Plato's order:

Reason is the logic or "logistikon" of the soul.  It "is the thinking part of the soul which loves the truth and seeks to learn it."  This logistikon "discerns what is the real and not merely apparent, judges what is true and what is false and wisely makes just decisions in accordance with its love for goodness."  Plato further stated that a soul can only be declared as just if all three parts of the soul agree the logistikon should rule.

Appetite "is the part of the soul by which we experience carnal erotic love, hunger, thirst and in general the desires opposed to the logistikon.  Plato also identifies this part of the soul with the pleasure involved in human reproduction. He further relates this part to the love of money-making."

Spirit "aligns with the logistikon and resists the desires of the appetitive, becoming manifested as 'indignation' and in general the courage to be good. In the unjust soul, the spirited ignores the logistikon and aligns with the desires of the appetitive, manifesting as the demand for the pleasures of the body."  The spirit "is the part of the soul by which we experience carnal erotic love, hunger, thirst and in general the desires opposed to the logistikon." 

Note to the reader:  I gleaned much of the above information from the internet and have noted this information in quotations.  I apologize to the originator for misplacing the credit information and will update the source when I find it.

Now, I think that putting "spirit" in second position seems wrong, and I also have issue with Plato's definition for "spirit."  It is the spirit which defies logic to do what the soul feels is a better or more righteous, path.  Love is the perfect example of this defiance.  Of all emotions which make little sense to us, love can be so very illogical.  

Plato believed that the "unjust" soul ignores logic to align with the desires of the appetite and, at times, I think this is true.  But I also think the spirit of the "just soul" can also ignore logic.  Logic would tell the hero not to rush into a raging inferno to try and save an innocent; the odds of success are poor.  The hero will ignore logic because the spirit demands salvation of the innocent, even at the selfless risk of the heroes own life.  In this instance, how can we see ignoring logic as anything other than just and righteous?  It has been pointed out to me that we can see this most in the decisions "situationally" forced upon our first responders in times of crisis.

"Indomitable spirit is the spark that gives life. Tennessee Williams once wrote, “I think time is a merciless thing. I think life is a process of burning oneself out and time is the fire that burns you. But the spirit of man is a good adversary.” As long as the indomitable spirit remains, there is little that can defeat anyone. Without the indomitable spirit, hope flies away; life becomes harder to face, even to the point of meaninglessness; there is no laughter, love, pain or truth. A life without pain sounds wonderful. But picture leaning on a stove and never feeling it. Would the gentle touch of a friend’s hand mean as much if there were no tears? Indomitable spirit gives us these gifts."

-- StaciAnne K. Grove, blogger, pagan, martial artist

Spirit is what gives way to faith; faith in ourselves, faith in others, and even faith in a higher power in the universe.  It is our spirit which defies all logic, giving us the faith to move mountains.

I suppose one could view Plato's tripartite theory as Logic, Desire, and Courage.  It brings it down out of the clouds of hoity-toity philosophy speak so us common folk can get a handle on it.  Truthfully, I see where he was trying to go, but it is easier for most of us to simply have courage.  Life is having the courage to dance, even if you can't; dance, even if there's no music; and, most importantly, to dance like there's no tomorrow.  Of what use is your immortal soul if you don't constantly celebrate the simple gift of life.  The soul has only one true purpose, to live and to live again.

Accepting that time is just a human construct with which we gauge the progress of our passage through a physical world, we can then accept that who we love in this world we will love in the next, and the next, and so on, and our decisions in this world will have consequences for those lives as well.  When we grasp the concept and realize there is no such thing as time, we free ourselves and we free our soul.  We need not fear to soar!  

“Age has no reality except in the physical world. The essence of a human being is resistant to the passage of time. Our inner lives are eternal, which is to say that our spirits remain as youthful and vigorous as when we were in full bloom. Think of love as a state of grace, not the means to anything, but the alpha and omega. An end in itself.”

-- Gabriel García Márquez (1927-2014), writer, journalist, novelist

Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen, and have yet believed.”  Jesus saw it was better to have the courage of faith to believe in that which you have no proof, than to believe only after you have the proof; then, it may be too late.  

Faith takes courage, a courage of conviction without the crutch of proof.  There is no proof a person running into a burning building to save a life will ever emerge alive, and yet there is much courage in trying.  If you don't have the courage, the spirit, to save the life of another without absolute proof of success, you are both already dead.  Why will you hesitate?

What is a life without spirit, is a question many of us already know the answer to.  Wouldn't it be better to ask, why is a life without spirit?  With this answer you will have the information to change, and this change will give you the courage to begin moving forward.  But, there is a word of warning:  The minute you find the spirit, the faith to believe without proof, you have started down that slippery slope of a life in which scientific method, as with most scientific results, is not really an absolute, nor is it a necessity, nor will it seem logical.  It will be that moment in life when "faith" becomes crystal clear, and your definition of God becomes personal.

“None of us knows what might happen even the next minute, yet still we go forward. Because we trust. Because we have Faith.”

-- Paulo Coelho de Souza, novelist

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider another viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion in an arena of mutual respect concerning those opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 23 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with a world renowned Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, to wage his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteers as lead Chaplain and Chaplain Program Liaison, at the regional medical center.