Can a soul really be corrupted, or is corruption already within one’s soul? Does the soul start off in a pure state? While I think that the soul can be corrupted, I argue that as a child one is generally without corruption. The soul, to me, starts out in somewhat of a pure state that can be modified with guidance.
Plato
argues there are three parts to the soul; the mind, the spirited, and the
appetitive parts. These parts of the soul are within every individual, but each
person leans towards one of the three parts more heavily than the other two
parts. I agree that each individual leans towards one part of the soul more
than the other parts, but I do not agree with Plato’s societal hierarchy.
I
feel that although a person may be categorized by Plato as someone with a
rational soul, that same person is not limited by that categorization, but
instead, that person may choose his or her own destiny. To me, Plato is saying
that if you are a spirited person, you will end up as a soldier and if you are
an appetitive person, you will be a worker.
I
believe that a person can shape their own destiny, and the soul that people are
born with does not necessarily define them. A person’s actions will mold their
soul, and a person’s actions will mold their own destiny.
