Plato s View Of The Immortal Soul, Diagnosis, And...

Introduction-Plato’s view of the immortal soul, Diagnosis, and Prescription. Plato had a dualistic view of the soul and body, meaning that he believed them to be two separate entities that could exist independently of one another. According to Plato, ‘the soul exists before birth, it is indestructible, and will exist eternally after death.†Plato believed in what he referred to as a tripartite soul. Plato’s tripartite soul consists of Appetite, Spirit, and Reason. In a just soul, Appetite and Spirit are controlled by Reason. Plato believed the soul to be more important than the body because he believed the soul retained knowledge of the forms from before birth, rather than knowledge being gained through bodily senses. The problem, according to Plato, is that which part of the soul dominates the others differs from person to person. In order to have a just soul, reason must be in control and the three parts should be in harmony with one another. Similarly, the people who are the most rational thinkers, and therefore the most suited to be ru lers, are not always those who have power in society. In order to have a just society, the most rational people must have power over spirited and appetitive people. These three classes of people should be in harmony, just as the three parts of the soul should be in harmony. Plato’s ideal society is a just society. A just society, for Plato, is a society in which the three classes of people, namely, Rulers, Auxiliaries, and Workers are