Plato’s Three Part Soul and Its Correlation to the State

According to Plato, the soul of a human being is divided into three parts. These are parts that control and manage our brain, and the three are appetite, spirit, and reason. Though each of these parts plays a particular role, Plato believed that only reason should be let to rule. For one to lead a virtuous life, then these here parts need to be harmonized; in other words, in order for the soul to be peaceful, then they must cooperate. Any person who is one of the three to dominate, then they is said to be in disharmony or out of balance. According to him, if you let appetite take charge, then one assumes oligarch and tyrannical features. These are people who are attracted to behaviors that are deemed to be self-destructive only care about their appetite at the expense of others.

A person who allows the spirit part to dominate then the character of that person is centered on status, ambitions; constant craving for admiration, and the person is much concerned with glory and honor. The most important organ is the reason. This is the part that considers and weighs options before one makes the next step. This is what makes a person be rational. People who think before making any move are less likely to fall into problems. Plato believed that spirit is what motivates the soul and intervenes to keep the desires in line. The mind is simply said to be in a stable state when the three parts are in unity.