Wings of Harmony : An analysis of the conflict of the soul in Plato’s ​Phaedrus

Sammanfattning: In Plato's Phaedrus, the conflict between the rational and non-rational parts of the soul plays a central role. While the best life, according to Plato, is the rational pursuit of philosophical contemplation, the soul can nevertheless not rid itself from its non-rational parts. In the Phaedrus, Plato presents this tension by likening the soul to a winged chariot with a charioteer and two horses. In this essay, I lean on the account of the soul in the Republic to argue that a solution to the conflict can be found by taking the wings of the chariot to symbolise inner harmony. In this way, I show that the non-rational parts of the soul are not a hindrance to the rational pursuit of philosophy, but, in fact, necessary for it.