In the Republic, Plato makes strong connections between city and soul, arguing that as the city is, so is the human soul. Both, he said, have a tripartite nature, corresponding to the rational/wisdom-loving, appetitive/desiring and spirited/honour-seeking elements. The Bible defines the soul’s three elements as mind, emotion and will. The ideal state, like the ideal individual, is one with a healthy, unafflicted soul. For, as Plato and the Bible make clear, an afflicted soul is an enemy of the body and the spirit.
Sadly, in body, spirit and
