Plato's Argument For A Just Life

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drink is that we anticipate the result of our
thirst being quenched. Our appetites see no further consequences than the
immediate fulfillment of our desires; they do not contemplate the results of the
actions we take to fulfill our desires.

For this reason, Plato believes that we must separate the soul based on how it
reacts to desires. There must be a part of the soul, Plato reasons, that
contemplates the end result of our actions and makes decisions based on a higher
reasoning than desire. So we see two distinct parts of the soul. The first is
said to be appetite (which desires without reason) and reason (which considers
the consequences). Reason may thus work against anything that is not for the
total good of the man. Plato holds that if the desire were truly for a good
drink, reason would never oppose it. Our usage of the word good, however, has
come to denote an expectation of usefulness to our purpose; although this may be
relative to the end result that we experience ...

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All desires (whether a product of the appetitive, or the desire
for honor which stems from the spirit, or the desire for knowledge which comes
from reason) are for particular goals or objectives (e.g. drink, honor and
knowledge) (580d). These objectives may be either good or bad for it is not as
good that we desire them. Rather we desire them as drink, honor and knowledge.
This forms the base for Plato's argument that the unregulated life is
unprofitable because one may be led to believe that an object is good by the
force of the desire for it. But Plato says that if we are able regulate
ourselves, we will desire what is truly good. The objective of our desire (that
which is good) is ...

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