Plato's dualism (mind-body problem)

what is Plato?

substance dualist

Plato’s dualist view of the soul

• imprisoned in physical body

  • belongs in Realm of the Forms, wants to return

  • when overcome by desires, loses wings, incarnated on earth

• indestructible

• eternal

• access to perfect knowledge of Forms

Plato’s analogy to explain his view of the soul

analogy of the charioteer

• 3 parts to soul

  • reason (charioteer)

  • spirit (horse that behaves)

  • desire (horse that misbehaves)

• soul works best when charioteer (reason) is in charge

how does Plato view the body?

• “source of endless trouble”

  • mortal

  • liable to disease

  • driven by desires

• imprisons soul

what are Plato’s two arguments for believing in a separate soul?

• innate knowledge

• linguistic argument

explain Plato’s innate knowledge argument for believing in a separate soul

• all knowledge = remembering

• soul explains a priori knowledge: remembers from Realm of Forms

counterargument to Plato’s innate knowledge argument

LOCKE - we are all born “tabula rasa” (a blank slate)

explain Plato’s linguistic argument for believing in a separate soul

distinction between how we speak about ourselves and our bodies

• ‘I am thinking’

• but ‘I have a body’ = suggests ‘I’ is not our body

counterargument to Plato’s linguistic argument

reading too much into language?

• WITTGENSTEIN - “problems arise when language goes on holiday”

other scholars supporting PLATO

• HH PRICE

  • afterlife = mind-based

  • disembodied souls recognise one another telepathically

  • BUT, if body is so central to identity, how can you recognise people in afterlife

• SWINBURNE

  • lightbulb analogy

  • after death, soul remains, just need to replace function of brain

quote from Bible supporting PLATO’s idea of soul remaining while boy is destroyed in afterlife

“flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God”