Soul Philosophy Essay

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Paper Assignment 2- Prompt #1
According to Socrates in Plato’s Republic, justice is a virtue that allows the soul to perform its function well. This justice is chosen both for its own sake and its consequences. Every human soul has three parts, a spirit, a reason, and an appetite. When the soul is functioning properly the virtues of that soul is just. Education causes the soul to be moral in nature. Education in music and physical training contribute to the soul and body. In this essay I will explain how through education a soul is allowed to truly become just, contributing to a healthy balance of spirit, reason, and appetite within the soul.
Socrates believes that through the virtue of justice, an individual’s soul will perform its function well. Virtue has the definition of a trait or characteristic that enables a thing to perform its function. With this virtue a soul is able to function, which is taking care of things such as ruling, deliberating, and living. These functions of the soul are unique to only the soul. A just persons soul is balanced between its three parts, the spirit, reason, and appetite. A person’s spirit functions as reasoning. Rational calculating is the second part of the soul, which is in charge of ruling. Appetites functions as our thirsts and desires. When all of these functions are in balance a just person is able to live “blessed and happy.” The blessed and happy finds justice in doing their own work; this is because “justice should be loved both for its own sake and for the sake of its consequences by anyone who is going to be blessed.” When parts of the soul are performing there natural functions this creates health in the body. For example we choose health because we don’t want to be sick, and ...

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...support the guardians through their reason. Lastly appetites are our thirsts and desires. Farmers and producers serve as the appetites because they satisfy those needs. The idea of function plays the role of when there is justice in the soul; the soul and city are able to live “blessed and happy.” Socrates claim is interconnected through education providing a just soul, allowing a just soul to function properly, allowing for justice in the individuals and city.
This essay talked about how education is a fundamental step in creating a just soul, and how with a just soul creates a just city. This education in music and physical training allow guardians to contain a prudence concerning what is good for the city as a whole. And when there is love for the city, this allows Socrates account of justice to occur, which is doing ones own work. A just soul is a happy soul.

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