Question

Define the three elements embedded in human soul in accordance with the justice theory of Plato.

Answer 1

Explanation:

The term Republic or what is Justice is, in many respects, the crown of Plato’s work—the greatest of his dialogues. According to Plato, justice is the quality of individual, the individual mind. It can be understood by studying the mind of man, its functions, qualities or virtues.  

Mind is not homogeneous but heterogeneous, and in fact, has three elements, viz., appetite, spirit and reason, and works accordingly. But, all by itself these three elements will not work in a coordinated fashion and mind as a whole will work disjointedly. Therefore, it is important that every part of the mind must work virtuously’ in unison with other parts and under the sovereignty of reason.

Plato viewed justice as an idea, an attribute of the mind, which expresses itself in a just, political and social order. Justice, therefore, is a relation between individuals depending on social and political organization. It is to be studied as part of the structure of the community than as a quality of personal conduct. If one can visualize a just state, it is also easy to picture a just individual. Thus, Plato tried to integrate the problem of political reconstruction with that of the personal morality.  

Plato defined ‘justice’ as having and doing what is one’s own. In other words, everybody does their own work. Mind is stated to be just when every part of it func­tions in its own sphere under the overall guidance of reason, which is the pilot of mind and soul.

The three elements:

• The appetites, which includes all our myriad desires for various pleasures, comforts, physical satisfactions, and bodily ease. There are so many of these appetites that Plato does not bother to enumerate them, but he does note that they can often be in conflict even with each other. This element of the soul is represented by the ugly black horse on the left.

• The spirited, or hot-blooded, part, i.e., the part that gets angry when it perceives (for example) an injustice being done. This is the part of us that loves to face and overcome great challenges, the part that can steel itself to adversity, and that loves victory, winning, challenge, and honor. (Note that Plato's use of the term "spirited" here is not the same as "spiritual." He means "spirited" in the same sense that we speak of a high-spirited horse, for example, one with lots of energy and power.) This element of the soul is represented by the noble white horse on the right.

• The mind (nous), our conscious awareness, is represented by the charioteer who is guiding (or who at least should be guiding) the horses and chariot. This is the part of us that thinks, analyzes, looks ahead, rationally weighs options, and tries to gauge what is best and truest overall.