Plato's ideas of the Soul

• Dualism- the body and the soul are separate
• Soul- According to Plato, the soul (psyche) is the logical thinking part which seeks to learn the truth
• Plato says only composite parts can be destroyed or naturally disintegrate
• Bodies are composite (can be destroyed or disintegrate), whereas souls are non-material and cannot be destroyed or disintegrate
• Thumos- Spiritual part of the psyche. E.g. natural readiness for a fight, courage or righteous anger
• The soul animates the body
• Appetitive part of the body is influenced by the soul
• In Plato's, The Meno, Socrates teaches an uneducated slave boy geometry. Plato believes this shows the boy had an innate knowledge of mathematics that Socrates activated.
• "Without anyone teaching him, he will recover his knowledge for himself if he is only asked questions."- Plato, The Meno
• Major criticisms of the concept of the forms

  • The World of the Forms is not known to us
  • We have no recollection of its existence
  • Why are we unaware of our soul's previous experience?
  • How does the World of the Forms interact with the World of the Senses?
  • The Forms are immaterial, it is unclear how they affect what we perceive
  • Some philosopher (Hume) think knowledge should be based on experience