The Psychology of Contemplation

By exploring the soul’s tripartition in Plato’s Republic, I argue that it contains two different accounts of the rational part, which are not easy to reconcile. In book 4 the emphasis is on the practical dimension of knowledge, and reason part is basically the calculating part. However, a shift in books 8 and 9 shows that this is not the case because the soul’s real desire is knowledge of wisdom. The rational soul pursues its own good and this is knowledge. The consequence is a different reading of the dialogue. There is a widespread, albeit implicit, assumption that Plato’s philosophy, particularly in the Republic, possesses a decisive practical, political dimension. However, an analysis of the tripartition in the Republic shows that this is controversial because the ultimate goal of the rational part appears to be theoretical contemplation. The desire of the rational soul is to know, not to rule. Contemplation of the Forms is an end in itself. From a methodological perspective a confrontation of the Republic with other dialogues such as the Timaeus and the Phaedrus show that Plato is not so much interested in building a system as in exploring different options.