Micah Domingo

2. Plato:

B. Main Idea

“The capacity to think and act points to the soul” The true self of the human person is the
rational soul--Plato

According to Plato, “The true self of the human person is the rational soul.” Plato also said that
“the body is the destructible and material while the soul is the undestructible and immaterial. The
soul is the” self”. The body and soul can be separated. Plato believe that “the soul is just residing
in the body temporarily.”When the human person dies, the soul departs from the body.The soul
cannot die because of being immaterial.The soul is eternal.”

Similarly today, we believe that human has spirit, body and soul. Which the philosophers
identified clearly. Even during their time, there is still no Bible that could attest the truthness of
this idea.

Plato also explains the complexity of a human being of doing what is right and the battle that is
happening within one’s self . Self has three distinctive quality of soul.

a. Rational Soul located in the head.--Think, reflect, analyze and to cognitive function.It is
superior to spiritual and appetitive because it served as their moral and rational guide
b. Spiritual Soul is located in the chest.Experience happiness, joy,sadness, abomination,
anger, and other emotional feelings.
c. Appetitive Soul- located in the abdomen, to experience hunger, physical pain , thirst, and
other physical wants.

C. Explain the important Contribution

In the illustration of the Allergory of chariot Plato explains that the rational soul must be able to
control the spiritual soul and the appetitive soul in order to go to the final destination which is
heaven. If the chariotter was able to harmonize the two horses , a well balanced personality is
achieved.

The final destination is described as heaven: heaven as the form of Beauty, Wisdom, Courage,
Justice and goodness. However, the charioteer needs to balance the two horses, the dark horse
which is evil and stubborn even there is whipping for it to obey and the other horse which is
noble and obedient which also had the same aim to arrive in heaven. However the dark horse
goes in the opposite direction and the struggle is there. It is for the charioteer to balance both
horses and manage them wisely to arrive in the final destination.

D. The influence on today’s situation.

It is very true that the struggle is real. There is a song that goes like this”Gusto kong bumait pero
di ko magawa.” Even Paul, the apostle of Christ, said this in the Bible, where he do what he
don’t want to do, and what he wants to do, he didn’t do. Romans 7:15, NASB: For I do not
understand what I am doing; for I am not practicing what I want to do, but I do the very thing I
hate. Romans 7:15, NLT: I don't really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I
don't do it. Instead, I do what I hate.

The struggle to do good and to be of honest good life is attain only if you live in truth. Honesty is
still the best policy. If one’s faith is not strong enough, one may be able to give in to any
temptations. It depends upon how one will control the dark horse within oneself. The conscience
is your white horse but the final decision is you, yourself. It is the mastery of self discipline and
control that makes you overcome evil. No one is born evil. However, the mastery of the white
horse and dark horse is achieved if your life is anchored in the fear of the Lord.