Platonic Perspective of Reason and Power

The renowned Dutch philosopher, Baruch Spinoza, once said regarding the study of philosophy, "The highest activity a human being can attain is learning for understanding, because to understand is to be free" (Spinoza). For Spinoza and Plato alike, reason and the knowledge derived from reason are fundamental in achieving enlightenment, the aspiration of philosophy. Platonic principles regarding truth, reason, power, and community were absorbed by not only other Greek schools of thought, but were influential in early Christian doctrine, as well. For instance, the early Christian missionary Saint Paul, who was paramount in establishing the Christian Church, studied Platonic philosophy and in some tenets of Christianity, Paul naturally pays homage to his mentor. While Paul incorporates Platonic metaphors of community into Christian teaching, there is a distinct departure in Paul's relationship between reason and power. Platonists use an a priori or conceptual approach to behold reason as the means to acquire knowledge, and consequently power. In essence, knowledge is power, reason is knowledge, and therefore reason is power. For Plato, the term "power" is not necessarily intended in its hegemonic meaning, but rather is the ability to discipline and detach oneself from his or her senses. In contrast to the Platonic perception of reason and power, Saint Paul regards embracing Jesus Christ, God incarnate, and living in His likeness and image, as the means of achieving spiritual enlightenment and consequently power over the sensory world. Platonic philosophy ultimately conveys a more compelling method of understanding reason and thus power, as to accept Paul's approach would first necessitate both accepting the existence of God and embracing Jesus Christ as God, which is disputable. Furthermore, Plato's course does not require dependence upon a third party or entity, that is, one can accomplish such reason and power on his or her own.

The Platonic school of thought's a priori approach to philosophy, defined as, "Derived by or designating the process of reasoning without reference to particular facts or experience," is essential in the understanding of the relation among truth, reason, and power. Platonic philosophy entails accepting basic principles or "givens" in order to realize the interdependence concepts have with one another. For example, Plato's understanding of the relationship between soul and body, as represented in the Phaedo, is that "the body is the tomb of the soul" (Plato). Plato likens the body to a "tomb", thus associating the body with death, and consequently the notion of evil. The body is a source of evil for Plato, as it impairs one's ability to recollect and attain virtue, thus obstructing one from the Platonic Forms that are perfection. Furthermore, one should train him or herself to move away from or decrease dependence on the physical senses, in the process liberating the soul from the body and securing power over oneself. Therefore, in order to understand the remainder of Plato's argument on reason and power, a student must first accept that the senses are not desirable, and that detachment from sensory influence holds intrinsic power.

As the physical or sensory world is not stable, in Platonic thought, it is inconceivable to objectively reason without first ridding oneself of attachment to impermanent objects. Plato is referring not only to material possessions such as wealth, but also human emotions including greed, lust, envy, selfishness, and sloth which sway ones judgment and diverge from virtue. Though one might argue that these sentiments are elements of human nature and are enduring, Plato asserts that these elements are part of human nature only because the body is a source of evil and, therefore it is on this basis that he advocates for detachment. In essence, what Plato contends is that man associates happiness and self-worth in satisfying his own self-interests, but instead, it is these very self-interests that prohibit him from realizing the Forms and true contentment. While it is often assumed that human nature is, at its root, "good," Plato reveals this as a misconception when he says in the Phaedo, "Only the body and its desires cause war, civil discord and battles, for all wars are due to the desire to acquire wealth, and it is the body and the care of it, to which we are enslaved which compel us to acquire wealth," thus demonstrating that it is one's body that "enslaves" that person (Plato 66A-B). The choice of semantics is significant, as it establishes the notion that so long as a person is attached to the sensory realm, he or she will be imprisoned in the body - a concept that fortifies the belief that power is acquired only in disinterest of all things physical.

In stark contrast to Plato's view of the body as a "tomb," Saint Paul expresses that the body, as a creation of God, is inherently good, and it is, at times, the inability of individuals to control their urges that transforms the body into an evil entity. For example, in Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians he describes the body by saying, "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not on your own?" (1 Cor 6:19). Paul's argument is, in essence, that because God created the human body it is intrinsically good, and if the human body and physical world were indeed evil, that would be contradictory to the good nature of God. Furthermore, Paul tactfully uses guilt as a means to encourage the Corinthians, as well as Christians in general, to cherish their bodies, as he says, "For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body" (1 Cor 6:20). The price that Paul suggests is a reference to the crucifixion that Jesus Christ endured for humanity. Paul's argument that the body is inherently good, because it was created by God, is inferior as it utilizes guilt to remind Christian believers of their beliefs, rather than trust in the mere reverence by his followers. Guilt is among the weakest of human emotions, as it plays upon the inherent "good" of human nature. Therefore, albeit guilt is effective in renewing the Christian faith in Corinth, it employs an inferior method of persuasion, in contrast to Plato's logic. Paul's perspective of the physical self is very much aligned with his argument of how to reason: profound and absolute faith in God. This argument is erroneous, as it still develops on the premise that there is a divine or supreme being, which Paul does not establish. While Paul's intended audience was the Christian community in Corinth, the letter has discussed fundamental aspects of the Christian Church. Thus, as Paul is writing to a more targeted audience, the Christian philosophy that he explains in his Letter to the Corinthians does not have the same mass appeal that Plato's all-inclusive approach includes.

Platonic school of thought, in contrast to Paul and Christian philosophy of reason and power, is independent of any third party or entity, therefore making it more compelling and holding more merit than professing absolute faith in a supposed being. In Platonic thought, the understanding that the ability to reason occurs only after detachment from the senses, is fundamental as it allows one to attain enlightenment and as a result power. Thus, while reasoning is pivotal in the path toward power, it is the knowledge and truth that are obtained from reason that make one powerful. For Plato, power in its conventional connotation: authority over another entity is not as imperative as power over an individual's own self. In this respect, Plato and Paul have a similar philosophy in that they both place the primarily emphasis on power over one's own self. However, while both schools of thought stress transformation of the individual, there is also a greater community facet that is similarly conveyed. For both schools of thought, the ideal was to strive toward personal transformation but also share the enlightenment with others. It is through this unity in ideals, that strength and power emerge. Nevertheless, this is not to be interpreted as power that is submissive over another, but rather a community of people who have power over their desires.

The primary flaw in Paul's contention, that to live in the semblance of and profess faith in Jesus Christ is to attain enlightenment and all that it encompasses: truth, reason, community, is that it is contingent upon the existence of a divine being. If living as Christ did and having faith in this supposed "being" who will guide his people in the path of enlightenment is the sole means of attaining such knowledge and virtue, then the responsibility is essentially placed upon this figure. However, if one engages the Platonic method, that reason results in knowledge, knowledge allows one to have control over his or her body. Ergo, reason gives one power and the success of one's enlightenment is dependent on the effort he or she puts forth. In Platonic thought, there is a greater independence and thus it engages a more vast audience. Paul's assertion is problematic, as if a person invests his or her success in the mere faith of an alleged God, that individual may still ultimately fail in achieving enlightenment.