From: jimruttshow8596
Plato, in some sense, can be called the father of psychology [00:05:14] and cognitive science [00:05:14]. He applied a nascent scientific approach to the psyche itself, providing the first bona fide theory about its nature [00:05:51].
Plato’s Model of the Psyche
Plato proposed that the psyche is divided into semi-autonomous components, each identifiable by its primary motivation and cognitive scope [00:05:59]. This triad structure consists of:
- The Monster: Represented mythologically, it resides in the genitalia and stomach [00:06:15]. It motivates primarily with pleasure and pain and is directed towards very short-term, superficial goals [00:06:20].
- The Lion (Thymus): Located in the chest, the thymus encompasses social emotions like pride, esteem, shame, and guilt [00:06:43]. As lions are social animals, it motivates by honor and shame, pursuing longer-term, concrete social-cultural goals with a middling cognitive scope [00:06:56].
- The Man: Situated in the head, this part is motivated by truth and falsity and is capable of reason [00:07:18]. The “man” pursues long-term, abstract goals [00:07:35].
In everyday life, especially if one is not well-conditioned and wise, the “monster” often wields more power than the “man” [00:08:30].
Connection to Freud and Modern Psychology
Plato’s model of the psyche maps on in many ways to Sigmund Freud’s theories [00:07:42]. Modern psychology continues to discover this idea of different centers of motivation and cognitive grasp [00:08:00]. This ancient insight also aligns with:
- The proposal of a reptilian brain, mammalian brain, and neo-mammalian brain (McLean’s triune brain model) [00:07:47].
- Stanovich’s System 1 and System 2 thinking [00:07:55].
- Current theories of hyperbolic discounting [00:08:06].
Indeed, much of psychology can be seen as a footnote to Plato in important ways [00:08:18].
Hyperbolic Discounting
Hyperbolic discounting is a phenomenon observed across species, indicating its deep adaptive function [00:09:06]. It describes the tendency for present stimuli to be significantly more salient than future stimuli [00:09:27]. This is adaptive because one should calibrate attention based on the probability of an event occurring; a present event has 100% probability, while future events drop dramatically in probability [00:10:08].
A common example is procrastination: opting for immediate pleasure (e.g., partying) over starting a long-term goal (e.g., an essay due in three weeks) [00:09:37].
However, this adaptive trait can also be maladaptive [00:10:34]. Hyperbolic discounting can blind individuals to abstract features of the future. While individual future events may have low probability, their common goal or outcome can have a high probability [00:10:47]. For much of human history, living “hand to mouth” meant that short-term survival (e.g., not starving in the next two weeks) was paramount [00:11:17]. Long-term goals like college applications or career planning were not what humans were “engineered for” by evolution [00:11:31].
Rationality and Self-Deception
Plato’s idea is that if the “monster” (impulsive desires) or “lion” (glory-seeking) is too much in charge, the proper ratio and inner relationship between the three parts of the psyche is lost [00:24:55]. This inner conflict becomes an ongoing source of self-deception [00:25:12].
Plato suggests that by properly aligning these parts, one can achieve inner peace and reduce self-deception [00:25:27]. This alignment allows an individual to see more deeply into reality [00:25:47], leading to a process of transformation.
Anagogic Transformation (anagogi)
This transformational process, referred to as anagogi [00:29:55], is a mutually reinforcing loop:
- Realigning the Self: Reducing self-deception leads to a deeper capacity to perceive reality [00:25:38].
- New Relationships with Reality: Seeing more deeply into reality transforms the individual, further realigning the inner culture of the psyche [00:26:00].
- Continuous Ascent: This continuous cycle of inner optimization and improved capacity to realize real patterns allows one to see more and more deeply into the world and the psyche [00:26:18].
This anagogi process is central to Plato’s model of happiness and the pursuit of wisdom [00:30:16]. It transforms the world from one of limited perception (like shadows in a cave) to one of profound realization [00:30:21].