PLATO - MAN

<BODY> <CENTER><FONT SIZE=5><B><FONT SIZE=6>PLATO</FONT><BR> THE IDEALIST</B></FONT></CENTER><P> <FONT SIZE=4><B>Man</B></FONT><P> <FONT SIZE=4><B>TRI-PARTITE SOUL</B></FONT><P> <CENTER><IMG SRC="0408a.jpg" WIDTH="300" HEIGHT="107" ALT="TRIPARTITE"></CENTER><P> In the "Phaedrus", Plato presents the tri-partite nature of the human soul with the image of a charioteer (reason) trying to control two horses pulling in opposite directions - one (the spirited element) is good, needing no touch of the whip, ever obeying the voice of reason; the other (bodily appetites) needs constant control to prevent it from plunging all three off the road.<P> <FONT SIZE=4><B>A SOCIETY REFLECTING THE SOUL</B></FONT><BR> A city, says Plato, is man "writ large against the sky". The classes of Plato's ideal society correspond to the elements of the individual soul. Plato conceives of the soul as having three driving forces - reason, the spirited element, and bodily appetites. The society of his Republic is divided into three classes. The guardians, a ruling intelligensia, is to be drawn from those capable of reasoning at a highly abstract level. A group of auxiliaries and military who assist the guardians will be those in whom the spirited element is strongest. Those in whom the bodily appetites dominate will constitute a producer class. Each class will fulfill the role in the organic totality of the state that they are best suited to.<P> <FONT SIZE=4><B>A FAILURE OF THEORY</B></FONT><BR> The society in Plato's "Republic" was more successful as an image than possible as a reality. Plato's attempts to apply his ideals of the philosopher king in Syracuse resulted in disaster with his young philosopher king, Dionysius, being deposed and exiled. Clearly the spirited element needed a little more touch of the whip than envisaged. <BR clear=left><BR> <HR width=100%> <A HREF="http://www.creatorix.com.au"><IMG SRC="../creatorix.gif" WIDTH="85" HEIGHT="40" BORDER="0" ALT="Creatorix" align=right></A> </BODY>