Platos monumental work, The Republic, sets out with the goal of ascertaining how ones life should

best be lived. Through complex dialectic reasoning Plato, with the character of Socrates, discovers that inner harmony within ones self not only brings pleasure to ones life, but gives it essential meaning. By analyzing the specific role each part of the self must play, harmony in parts of the self, and the effects of that harmony, Plato successfully proves that innerharmony in parts of the self is necessary to live an excellent life. Socrates makes the initial assertion that there exists three interdependent parts of the self, each with its specific qualities and characteristics. He explains that Desire is ones drive toward good food, sex, luxury, and other worldly pleasures. This part gives one appetite and sexual impulses (Republic, 439d 6). The second part is Reason, which seeks out imperceptible principles like justice, truth, and wisdom. Reason is considered the rational calculating part of the soul (Republic, 439d 5). The third part is Spirit which is responsible for ones perseverance in carrying a courageous duty or conversely ones fury or heated impulse (Republic, 439e 3). Spirit is necessary in both warriors and philosophers, according to Socrates. Socrates uses the analogy of a person who has a strong thirst but still refuses to drink in order to explain how he comes to think that parts of the self exist (Republic, 439c 5). He claims that the proverbial man has multiple forces within him causing a reaction contrary to his inner drive. Socrates labels the mans drive to drink and quench his thirst as his Desire and his drive to abstain from drinking as Reason. Socrates asserts that both must exist, along with the part of Spirit, in order for one to function properly. Each part of the self is important in order to live a just life. No part may go unchecked in power or absent from being. A harmony must form among each part of the self through the effective performance of each part in regard to its unique and specialized role (Republic, 441e 7).

By using Leontiuss inner struggle, Socrates exemplifies the inner struggle over power between the three parts of the self (Republic, 440a 5). While Leontius wishes, by Desire, to look upon the bodies, his Reason keeps him from doing so at first. After a struggle, his Desire, through the force of his Spirit, over-powers his Reason and causes him to look shamefully at the bodies (Republic, 440a 2). The claim is made that Leontiuss downfall was due to a lack of inner-harmony among the parts of his soul. Socrates explains that this struggle for power in the soul requires a hierarchy in order to avoid such instances. He asserts that, just as in a city, the ruling class, or part of the self, must be the rational or reasonable entity (Republic, 441e 3). The virtue of both Spirit and Desire are controlled and practiced through Reason. Socrates explains that Reason should be at the top through his explanation of one who acts unjustly and suffers the consequences of it. He claims that when a noble individual suffers due to their own injustice, Reason controls Spirit from growing angry. If the suffering includes starvation, Reason calms the individual by rationalizing the hunger as their own fault (Republic, 440d 1). Conversely when an individual who has done no injustice but still suffers that individuals Reason allows anger to derive from Spirit and rationalizes starvation and an unjust punishment. Upon proving his assertion that a hierarchy must exist, Socrates explains that once a hierarchy is established a harmony must form in order to preserve the hierarchy (Republic, 443e 1). He uses a city as a metaphor for a single person. By explaining that temperance in a city means each class of people understanding their duty with a mutual agreement to not interfere with others duty and accept their position, Socrates relates the notion that each part of the self must understand where it lies on the hierarchy and seek to do its own job and not another parts in order to achieve harmony (Republic, 443d 3). The harmonious citys rulers, as the symbol for Reason, keep the merchant class from exhausting the citys resources and the warrior class from enslaving other classes or

causing war. Socrates uses this metaphor to further prove his ultimate assertion that one must experience inner harmony, just as in a city, in order to flourish and live an excellent life. In Platos use of a city to represent a person, he competently encompasses the many elements of ones inner being. The parts of the self, being essential to the metaphor, illustrate ones internal influences while the self as a whole functions in reaction the parts harmony or lack thereof. In displaying the effects of a disproportionate balance or discordant soul, Plato illuminates the consequences of living out of harmony (Republic, 443d 5). If Spirit were to take over than impulse would drive one to fight and argue with others frequently. If Desire were to reign supreme then one would become lazy and lecherous. Without the proper ruler, Reason, ones inner-workings would be flawed, resulting in a life absent of inner peace (Republic, 441e 3). Harmony among the parts of the self is essential to extended happiness. Pleasure would be attained if Desire were to rule, however, sustained pleasure could not. Without Reason, Desire would drive one to do foolish things in order to satisfy their bodily urges (Republic, 442a 3). Power, as the dominant part of the self, would initially work also. By using force to gain what one needs, a certain happiness is derived. This happiness would be short-lived, though, due to the impending quarrels one would be prone to without Reason guiding temper (Republic, 442a 5). In modern times, one may look to war as an example of what may happen when either Spirit or Desire takes control of a functioning body. Similar to imperial England, who endured strife in its attempt to live beyond its resources by establishing colonies across seas, countries controlled by Spirit or Desire experience the negative effects of a disharmonious existence. England eventually lost all but a few of its colonies to revolution and decay. England exemplifies Platos point in the proper hierarchy of ones internal self. The harmony that Plato

sets out to describe is necessary to living an excellent life because of its emphasis on a maintained hierarchy. Through his explanation of the parts of the self, the emphasis on a hierarchy and the role of the harmony among the parts of the self, Plato successfully proves that inner harmony is integral to living an excellent life. Without inner harmony, humanity would fall victim to its own barbaric impulses. Civilization and modern institutions would be impossible without the guiding light of Reason inducing structure and purpose as well as temperance. Without a sustained harmony, governments would be unable to effectively rule due to irrational legislation, therefore making the practice of philosophy, itself, is impossible.