The Soul

             In book VIII of The Republic, Plato insinuates that the five types of souls are most likely to digress into lesser souls, or stay the way they already are. Plato is saying that there is very little positive mobility in the caste system of the soul. In The Confessions, St. Augustine differs in that opinion. He says that the soul can positively change, and he goes on to describe his own transition from the worst polarity of the souls, to the best. In this paper, I will explain why I think that St. Augustine was correct, and the soul can change for the better.
             Before talking about the stages of digression in the souls, I should explain the five souls, as Plato describes them. The best soul out of the five is the Aristocratic soul. An example of the Aristocratic soul is the philosopher. The aristocratic soul is ruled by reason, with soul second in charge, and the desires third. The desires never play a role in the decision making process of the aristocratic soul. Second in the chain is the timocratic soul. The timocratic soul often feels superior to others, but more often than not, lacks in wisdom. The timocratic soul is ruled by spirit. Spirit, and what the person feels is right, makes the decisions. Reason is second in command, but it's seldom a large factor in decision-making. An example of the timocratic soul is the athlete or soldier. The third soul is the oligarchic soul. The CEO of a corporation, or a stockbroker would best represent the oligarchic soul. These people's souls are ruled by their love and desire for money. Spirit and reason are second in command to the one base desire for money. Most of us are the fourth type of soul. This is the democratic soul, the soul that loves freedom. The democratic soul is ruled by the base desire for freedom. Like the oligarchic soul, spirit and reason are both second in charge to the love of freedom. Most of us have democratic souls, and we are more likel...

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The Soul. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 00:45, March 29, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/92910.html