Anthropological Dualism: Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, and Freud

Anthropological Dualism: Body and Soul

Amdo's aspects of anthropological dualism (body and soul) are different, but a continental union. Each person occupies the body temporarily and then is reincarnated.

Plato

For Plato, man is composed of body and soul. The soul is pure, divine, and eternal, while the body is material, temporal, and not divine. The body is a kind of rush to the soul, which wants to get rid of it in two ways:

• Through Philosophy (spiritual effort)
• Through Death

However, the soul survives and can be incarnated in another body.

Aristotle

Aristotle has a biological conception of man, who says he is an inseparable unity of body and soul, which is the vital principle.

Descartes

For Descartes, the soul is an ego (I) that thinks: Ego cogito ergo sum -> I think, therefore I am.

Freud

S. Freud: Discovery of the Unconscious (unconsciousness/consciousness).

Materialist Monism

Materialist monism: (mono = one) The only thing that exists is the body, i.e., I am only my body.

• Julien Offray de La Mettrie: There is no soul. Man is a machine where there is no place for the soul.
• Democritus: The soul is a set of atoms.

Both Plato and Aristotle believe in the duality of human beings. While for Plato, being meant the accidental union between the human body and soul, for Aristotle, these two elements make up a substantial unity, where the body is matter and the soul is the form (Hylomorphism: man is the substantial unit).

Plato's Theory of the Soul

For Plato, the soul is perfection in the world of ideas and has true knowledge. It has three parts:

• The rational (Auriga)
• The irascible (white horse)
• The concupiscent (black horse)

These three parts are explained in the myth of the winged chariot: When the soul loses control of the other parts, it falls from the world of ideas into the sensitive world and forgets the ideas, knowledge. To restore it, one must simply remember (Platonic reminiscence).

Aristotle's Theory of the Soul

Aristotle, like his teacher, believes in the duality of human beings, but unlike Plato, he believes that the soul is the principle of life and movement. It exists while you are alive, and not before or after, as it cannot be given separately. That is, the soul is the realization of the body, and its update is inseparable. The only part of the soul separated from the body is the intellect.

Arguments for the Natural Origins of Society

Aristotle's First Argument

The end of natural man as rational beings: "Every city is a Koinonia (community), and the entire community is made towards the good. Because men seem to be acting against the good."

Aristotle's Second Argument

Language: The highest order of society is good, well-being. Society and state court allows the best virtue, reason, and knowledge. Man is political by LOGOS - knowledge, language, word (external manifestation of reason).