Plato's Anthropology: Body, Soul, and Dualism
Plato's Anthropological Conception and Dualism
Plato's anthropological conception is closely related to his dualistic ontological conception. Just as Plato distinguishes between the sensible world and the intelligible world, he believes that man is a compound of body and soul.
The Body: Earthly and Corruptible
The body corresponds to the sensible world, possessing these features:
- Earthly and material
- Mortal and corruptible
- The source of appetites and desires
Plato sometimes presents the body offensively, considering it the root of all evil and a prison for the soul, preventing it from ascending to the intelligible world.
The Soul: True Self and Immortality
In contrast, the soul, which is only accidentally attached to the body, is the vital principle that gives life and movement to the body's materiality. It is considered the real being of man, his true self. It is:
- Immaterial and simple
- Intelligible and uniform
- Indissoluble and immortal
By nature, the soul tends toward the intelligible realm, having pre-existed there before its fall into a human body.
The Theory of Reminiscence
In his dialogue Phaedo, Plato argues that the soul, upon knowing an idea, is actually recognizing it, implying that the ideas are already present within it. This is the theory of reminiscence, which suggests a prior acquaintance with the Forms and supports the Socratic method of teaching through questioning to facilitate learning.
Internal Conflict and Purification
In this process of recognizing ideas, the soul undergoes a gradual purification. However, because the soul is dragged down by the body and is not purely rational by nature, Plato must explain the internal conflict individuals feel and the different types of human behaviors that occur. These behaviors often involve being attached to earthly and sensual things.
Achieving Harmony (Dikaiosine)
The only way to avoid this degradation is through a rigorous learning process aimed at ensuring that the rational soul—described as “specifically human, purely immortal, located in the head and separated from the body”—governs the other parts:
- Concupiscible Part: Located in the belly, inseparable from the body, governing desire.
- Irascible Part: Located in the chest, common with animals, governing spirit and emotion.
The rational soul must ensure that each part exercises its proper virtue:
- Rational soul in Sophia (wisdom)
- Irascible part in Andreia (courage)
- Concupiscible part in Sophrosyne (temperance)
Only through this balance can Dikaiosine (justice/harmony) be achieved in the soul. This societal harmony also depends on the soul being situated within a perfect polis, governed by the wise, where each citizen naturally occupies the place corresponding to the predominant part of their soul.