Wednesday, November 14, 2012

On the Epithymetikon of Plato's Republic

The epithymetikon is that region in the base part of the soul and still further beneath which creates appetite due to the region's heterogeneous nature. Since it is without a spiritual center within that can depend on itself, it is in need of fulfilling itself through something without. Thus it is always in need and always a danger of placing the upper part of the soul, ie the logistikon, in service to it.

If the relentless needs of the epithymetikon are followed, lusting begins in the logistikon and it then becomes not a servant of itself but rather the appetites of the epithymetikon. This in turn leads to the logistikon forgetting itself.  Anamnesis becomes difficult and the mind becomes forgetful and incoherent as it places its intention not on itself but on fulfilling the desires of the epithymetikon.

Thus, there is a war for control between the two, the epithymetikon trying to place the logistikon in service to its needs, and the logistikon doing battle to avoid subjection. This war for control the epithymetikon wages with the logistikon is the greater Jihad spoken of in the Islamic tradition. The Jihad is the Platonic logistikon's struggle for autonomy from the endless demands of the epithymetikon in order to achieve self-sovereignty and wisdom.

As Plato rightly remarked, the Guardians must be those who have won the war and subjected the lower part of the soul to the higher, for a Guardian led by desire and lacking anamnesis would inevitably lead the society to the disorder and ruin which naturally reflects his own disordered and incoherent mental state. The Philosopher King is he who has the perfected anamnesis that brings about ordered coherency of mind and who has realized the Monad. Such a perfected soul is deemed the only one capable of ruling over the entire society justly.

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