Plato's Beliefs

Paper Summary:

The paper explains how Plato's conception of the human soul leads into his political philosophy. The paper continues that his notion of the soul leads him to believe that democratic systems of government must inevitably degenerate into tyrannical systems. The paper is of the opinion that ultimately Plato's point about democracy is fairly strong, but he fails to properly explain how his system of government could be more socially stable.

From the Paper:

"For Plato, the soul is a grounded aspect of human nature; it is innate and based upon an adequate understanding of human actions. The paper discusses how Plato, from observing human tendencies, arrives at the conclusion that there must be three separate portions of the soul. This notion is based upon the fact that people are often drawn towards certain actions while they are simultaneously pulled away from them; an alcoholic may desire a drink, but at the same time may want to resist such behavior. This sort of conflict, residing in a single individual, could be interpreted or explained in a number of ways; Plato, however, rests his explanation upon a principle that he believes to be the truth. Socrates states, "It is obvious that the same thing will not be willing to do or undergo opposites in the same part of itself, in relation to the same thing, at the same time.""

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• Essay # 137909 : "Human Nature and Perfect Societies in the Theories of Plato, Marx, & Freud"
• Comparison Essay # 87059 : "Aristotle and Plato on Rhetoric"

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