Plato, Morality, and The Harmonious Personality

Rabeatuladelah Mohd Ridzuan 1028360

Fatin Munirah Abd Latif 1022018

Plato (427-347 B.C)

• Underscored by Alfred North Whitehead

• Founded the ‘Academy’ at the age of 40

• Studied under Socrates• Wrote ‘dialogues’-

between him and Socrates.– explored moral, political,

logical, religious and cosmological topics.

Self-realization Ethics

• Betterment of human character• “what constitute the good life?” and “what

sort of individual should I strive to become?”• Entail personality consideration

Concept of Teleology

• The development of anything follows from the fulfillment of the purpose for which it was designed.

• Everything in the world has proper function within a harmonious hierarchy of purposes.

Concept of Human Nature

• Reason : give us the ability to think measure and understand before we act

• Spirit : the drive toward action• Appetite : pleasure relate to our physical being

# Human unhappiness occurs when the soul become disordered. ~disorder in the soul arrises when certain element assume undue importance and influence or when subordinate element fail to be restrain under higher faculty in the hierarchy of human functioning

Timarchic character

Oligarchic character

Democratic character

Tyrannical character

Types of Corrupt Moral Character

Timearchic character

• Spirit is the dominant force• The individual is highly ambitious, energetic

and athletic• Polite and obedient to authority but lack a

proper sense of superiority towards subordinates

• Due to lack of education

Oligarchic Character

• Motivated by appetite and desire to earn fortune

• Only want to satisfy the necessary• Money and profit are the basic driving forces• The person does not feel inner tranquility

Democratic character

• All desire and appetites are treated equally• Lack of principle• They are torn inside– They want everything but they cannot have it

Tyrannical Character

• The worst of four• Similar to criminal personality/dictator• They have master passion that controls all of

the desire• Nobody can control the tyrannical character– If he or she set the goal to need something, no

one can stop him/her.

The Philosopher Ruler

• Morally virtuous person• Have wise and courage• Does not allow the three elements of soul to

interfere with one another• Appreciate things that brings happiness• Focus attention to the soul regarding it is most

important.