07 Plato on Emotion

8/11/2019 07 Plato on Emotion

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For what I am doing, I do not understand. Forwhat I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I

hate, that I do.

Paul, Romans7:15


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Im just a girl who caintsay no,

Im in a terrible fix.

I always say, Come on, lets go!

Jist when I orta say Nix.

Ado Annie, Oklahoma


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c. 428/423-347 BC, AthensBorn into a wealthy, influential, and politically prominent

Athenian familyPut aside early all public ambition and devoted himself to

his writing and his teaching and research in thephilosophical school he founded, the AcademyDeeply influenced by Socrates, whom he co-opted as the

central speaker in his dialoguesDid not tend to write doctrines in a straightforward,

treatise-like mannerHis reflections are usually scattered throughout a numberof works, often reflecting different interests, concerns,and thoughts at different times


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The story of Leontius (Republic439e-440a):

But theres a story I once heard which seems tome to be reliable, I said, about how Leontius theson of Aglaeon was coming up from the Piraeus,outside the North Wall but close to it, when he sawsome corpses with the public executioner standing

near by. On the one hand, he experienced thedesire to see them, but at the same time he feltdisgusted and averted his gaze.


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The story of Leontius (Republic439e-440a):

For a while, he struggled and kept his hands overhis eyes, but finally he was overcome by the desire;he opened his eyes wide, ran up to the corpses,and said, There you are, you wretches! What alovely sight! I hope you feel satisfied!


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Theres a conflict here between what and what?

What does Leontius feel about this gory sight?

What does Leontius feel about how he feels aboutthis gory sight?

How would you describe this kind of conflict?


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Plato draws a big conclusion:

A single thing doesnt simultaneously move in

opposite directions

The mind can simultaneously move in oppositedirections

So the mind must not be a single thing it musthave at least two separate parts!


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Emotion Desire

Is disgusted by curiosity

about the corpses


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Emotion Desire

Is disgusted by curiosity Is curious about the

about the corpses corpses anyway


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Emotion Desire



Is angered by curiosity

about the corpses


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Emotion Desire



Is angered by curiosity Is curious about the



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Emotion Desire





Finds curiosity about the

corpses inappropriate


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Emotion Desire





Finds curiosity about the Is curious about the

corpses inappropriate corpses anyway


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When someone is thirsty, the only thingin so far ashe is thirstythat his mind wants is to drink. Thisis what it longs and strives for.

Clearly.So imagine an occasion when something is making it

resist the pull of its thirst: isnt this bound to be adifferent part of it from the thirsty part, which is

impelling it towards drink as if it were an animal? Do we know of cases where thirsty people areunwilling to drink?

Certainly, he said. Its a common occurrence.


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What could be the explanation for these cases? Iasked. Dont we have to say that their mindcontains a part which is telling them to drink,

and a part which is telling them not to drink,and that this is a different part and overcomesthe part which is telling them to drink?

I think so, he said.


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Plato draws a big conclusion again:

A single thing doesnt simultaneously move in

opposite directions

The mind can simultaneously move in oppositedirections

So the mind must not be a single thing it musthave at least two separate parts!


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Emotion vs. Desire

Reason vs. Desire

Emotion ??? Reason


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Its not at all uncommon to find a persons desirescompelling him to go against his reason, and to seehim cursing himself and venting his passion on the

source of the compulsion within him. Its as ifthere were two warring factions, with passionfighting on the side of reason.


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Is passion different from the rational part, then,or is it a version of it, in which case there aretwo, not three, mental categoriesthe rational

and the desirous?But thats easy, he said. Just look at children.

Its evident that from the moment of their birththey have a copious supply of passion, but Im

not convinced that some of them ever acquirereason, and it takes quite a time for most ofthem to do so.


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And animals provide further evidence of thetruth of what youre saying. Moreover, we canadduce this passage from Homer: He struck his

breast and spoke sternly to his heart. Clearly,Homer here has one distinct part rebuking anotherdistinct partthe part which has thoughtrationally about what is better and worse rebuking

the part whose passion is irrationally becomingaroused.


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Why does he think reason & emotion are soclosely allied?

Why does he think they are different parts?Animals

Children

Reason rebuking emotion

If they are so different, how can they also be soclosely allied?


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#1

Its not at all uncommon to find a persons desirecompelling him to go against his reason, and to see

him cursing himself and venting his passion on thesource of the compulsion within him. Its as ifthere were two warring factions, with passionfighting on the side of reason. (440b)


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#2

But suppose you feel youre being wronged.Under these circumstances your passion boils and

rages, and fights for what you regard as right.Then hunger, cold, and other sufferings make youstand firm and conquer them, and only success ordeath can stop it fighting the good fight, unless it

is recalled by your rational mind and calmeddown, as a dog is by a shepherd. (440c-d)


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#3

Thats a very good simile, he said, And in factthe part weve got the auxiliaries to play in our

community is just like that of dogs, with theirmasters being the rulers, who are, as it were, theshepherds of the community. (440d)


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#4

Now let us stay with the threefold division of eachsoul we made at the beginning of our story: two

forms in the shape of horses and one like acharioteer. Of the horses, one, we said, is good andthe other not The one on the nobler side isupright in form and clean limbed, with a high neckand commanding nose; he is white in color, withdark eyes. He is a lover of honor accompanied byself-restraint and a sense of shame and is acompanion of true glory. He needs no whipthecharioteer guides him by command and word along.


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The other one is crooked and massive, badly puttogether, with a thick, short neck and snub nose;he is dark-colored, with bloodshot gray eyes. He is

a companion of excess and showing off. He isshaggy round the ears and deaf, scarcely yieldingto the whip along with the goad. (Phaedrus)


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#5

Lets construct a theoretical model of the mind Something along the lines of those creatures who

throng the ancient myths, like the Chimera, Scylla,and Cerberus, and so on whose form is acomposite of the features of more than onecreature.

That would take some skilful modelling, heremarked, but since words are a more plasticmaterial than wax and so on, you may consider the

model constructed.


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A lion and a man are the next two models tomake, then. The first of the models, however, is tobe by far the largest, and the second the second

largest.Thats an easier job, he said. Its done.


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Now join the three of them together until theybecome one, as it were And for the final coat, givethem the external appearance of a single entity.

Make them look like a person, so that anyoneincapable of seeing whats inside, who can see onlythe external husk, will see a single creature, ahuman being. (Republic588b-e)


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REASON EMOTION DESIRE

Faction Ally Faction

Ruler Auxiliary Worker

Shepherd Dog [Conquered]

Charioteer Good horse Bad horse

Man Lion Monster


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REASON EMOTION DESIRE

Leads Obeys Incorrigible

Human Animal Animal

You Not you Not you

07 Plato on Emotion

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