Socrates: The Life Of The Aristocratic Soul

Introduction In Book IX of The Republic (571a-592b), Socrates offers two separate arguments for why the life of the aristocratic soul would be the best and most happy life. The life of the aristocratic soul refers to a society in which its members rely heavily on “experience, reason, and argument” (582a). Rather than the spirited part or the appetitive. In this paper, I will first talk about the kinds of souls. Second, I will address the different parts of the soul that exist in all souls. Third, I will use the context of souls and its parts to explain his first argument (580d-583b). In which, socrates argues that the “the part with which a person learns” (580d) is the part that would lead to the truth. Thus, knowing the truth, is the best way to come to conclusions about which life is the best life. He concludes that the aristocratic soul would be the best life because it relies on the part of the soul that would lead to the truth. Fourth, I will address his second argument. In the second argument (583b-588a), Socrates suggest that the rational pleasures, that exist strongly in the aristocratic soul, are eternal. In other words, rational pleasures are the kind of pleasures that …show more content…
In short his argument is that the rational pleasures are better because they capture what humans really are and will satisfy us. The other spirited and appetitive pleasures will never satisfy us. We would always crave for more. The best life in this case is where we focus on rational pleasures. He suggest that these rational pleasures are what makes us human. I would suggest that it is not just satisfying the rational pleasures that make us human. Rather, it is a combination of all the pleasures. I believe that the appetitive money-loving and the honour-loving pleasures are completely human. Although the rational part of the soul may separate us from animals it can be the case that the other parts of the soul are as human as the