Allegory Of The Charioteer, By Plato

Plato was a well-known Greek philosopher who differed from other greats around his time such as Socrates and Aristotle. Plato differed from them due to the fact he taught very general ideologies focused on the bettering of one’s self to stand in the light of spiritual truth and recognize that even the world is such a small reality; one must not be focused on self virtues but think of how to benefit one’s whole society. Plato reiterated his beliefs in some of his works such as, Phaedrus. In this work, one of the most distinct ideologies was the Allegory of the Charioteer; likening the souls of men and gods to the struggle of a chariot led by two flying horses. One pulls forward toward truth and the heavens while one draws back towards earthly …show more content…
However, he recognized what other philosophers in his time and ones now don’t; you cannot have specific philosophies that can help the whole world, all societal values and needs are different along with what kind of truth is most beneficial for one’s soul. Every soul is unique and to embody heavenly contemplation takes more than universal made philosophy that are unfamiliar to societal and internal differences, but one of generalness that can be used as a guide to achieve one’s personal …show more content…
Plato’s creation address the fact that to be a good leader one must deal with confliction of human soul and describes it as “the natural union of a team of winged horses and their charioteer.” This allegory is more than a vague ideal, but plays a crucial role in ancient Greek society and societies today; they are principles that teach rulers and other people of power how to ignore the temptation to abuse power for personal gain. This results in leader who possesses a philosophical soul compared to those who just use their powers and talents as tools of corruption. In the allegory in Phaedrus concludes, “their happiness depends upon their self-control; if the better elements of the mind which lead to order and philosophy prevail…masters of themselves and orderly…whereas the attachment of the non-lover…will breed in your soul those vulgar qualities which the populace applaud, will send you bowling round the earth during a period of nine thousand years.” This statement confirms that only those citizens close to the gods will view true reality and understand the importance of using their power for the common good. Plato’s allegory proves to be a influential no matter what the time in history. At its origin in Greece, it taught people in the polis how to selflessly use their knowledge of philosophy and rhetoric to benefit society instead of