Plato's Perspective of The Self - Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering Plato's self-theory, soul, dualism, the Forms, and the Allegory of the Chariot.

Plato

Ancient Greek philosopher (c. 428–c. 348 BCE); student of Socrates; founder of the Academy; advocate of Idealism; posits body–soul dualism and tripartite soul.

Socrates

Classical Greek philosopher who mentored Plato and influenced his thinking.

Aristotle

Greek philosopher; student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great.

Academy

Plato's school in Athens; one of the first institutions of higher learning in the Western world.

Idealism

Philosophical view that reality is fundamentally mental or spiritual; in Plato, relates to the World of Ideas.

Noumenon

The Ideal World; the realm of perfect forms beyond appearances.

Phenomenal world

The world of appearances and sensory experience; the material realm.

Metaphysical dichotomy

The division of reality into two kinds of substance: body (material) and soul (immaterial).

Body

Material, mortal part of a person; belongs to the Phenomenal world; mutable and destructible.

Soul

Immaterial, immortal part of a person; can exist apart from the body; hosts knowledge and ideas.

Tripartite soul

The soul is composed of three parts: rational, appetitive, and spiritual.

Rational part

Located in the head/brain; enables thinking and reasoning; immortal.

Appetitive part

Located in the abdomen; drives thirst, hunger, and physical desires; mortal.

Spiritual part

Located in the chest; drives anger, assertiveness; mortal.

Allegory of the Chariot

Plato's metaphor in Phaedrus of the soul as a chariot pulled by two horses, guided by a charioteer.

Mortal horse

The earthly, unruly horse; represents appetites and desires; mortal.

Immortal horse

The noble, disciplined horse; represents virtue and honor; immortal.

Charioteer

The driver of the chariot; represents reason guiding the soul.

Forms

Eternal, perfect essences or archetypes of things; true reality beyond appearances.

Examples of Forms (Beauty, Wisdom, Courage, Justice, Goodness)

Representations of eternal values or essences that constitute true reality.

Phaedrus

Dialog where the Allegory of the Chariot appears; a dialogue of Plato and Socrates.

Knowledge

Understanding that the soul retains beyond death; tied to the Form of Truth; intrinsically persistent.