Overview
This lecture discusses the human person as an embodied spirit, focusing on the philosophical views of Plato and Aristotle regarding the relationship between body and soul.
The Concept of Embodied Spirit
- “Embodied spirit” means the inseparable union of body (material) and soul (immaterial) in the human person.
- The human person is the convergence of body and soul, making both essential to personhood.
- Understanding embodied spirit helps clarify human potential, limitations, and uniqueness.
Plato’s View on Body and Soul
- Plato sees the human person as a metaphysical dualism: body (material, mutable) and soul (immaterial, immutable).
- According to Plato, the soul exists prior to the body and is superior; the body depends on the soul.
- Plato divides the soul into three parts: rational (head), spiritual (chest), and appetitive (abdomen).
- Reason (rational soul) guides desires (appetitive) and emotions (spiritual) for a balanced personality.
- For Plato, the soul is temporarily imprisoned in the body and returns to the world of Forms after death.
Aristotle’s View on Body and Soul
- Aristotle rejects Plato’s dualism and views body and soul as inseparable and united.
- For Aristotle, the soul (psyche) is the principle of life that animates the body.
- Aristotle defines the soul as the “form” of the body, with the body as its matter.
- All living things have souls: vegetative (plants), sensitive (animals), and rational (humans).
- Human beings possess the rational soul, making them “rational animals”.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Embodied Spirit — The union of body and soul as an inseparable whole in the human person.
- Dualism — The belief in two separate substances (body and soul), as held by Plato.
- Soul (Psyche) — The immaterial principle of life; for Aristotle, it is the form of the living body.
- Vegetative Soul — The soul in plants, responsible for growth, nutrition, and reproduction.
- Sensitive Soul — The soul in animals, capable of sensation, appetite, and movement.
- Rational Soul — The soul unique to humans, capable of thought and reason.
- World of Forms — Plato’s concept of an immaterial realm of perfect, eternal ideas.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review and compare Plato’s and Aristotle’s positions on the body-soul relationship.
- Prepare to discuss Aristotle’s theory of soul in more detail in the next class.