Book contents
- Platonic Autonomy
- Platonic Autonomy
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Tables
- Contributors
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Part I Self-Determination
- Part II Motivational Challenges to Self-Rule
- Chapter 2 Plato’s Problems with Aversion
- Chapter 3 A Complex Model of Action: What Is Ruling?
- Part III Internal and External Authorities
- Part IV The Limits of Autonomy and Self-Rule
- Part V Reconciling between Freedom, External Authority, and Nature
- Bibliography
- Index
Chapter 3 - A Complex Model of Action: What Is Ruling?
from Part II - Motivational Challenges to Self-Rule
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 August 2025
Book contents
- Platonic Autonomy
- Platonic Autonomy
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Tables
- Contributors
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Part I Self-Determination
- Part II Motivational Challenges to Self-Rule
- Chapter 2 Plato’s Problems with Aversion
- Chapter 3 A Complex Model of Action: What Is Ruling?
- Part III Internal and External Authorities
- Part IV The Limits of Autonomy and Self-Rule
- Part V Reconciling between Freedom, External Authority, and Nature
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
This chapter analyzes the Republic’s theory of the tripartite soul regarding the question of self-rule and autonomy. Only when the soul is in the ideal position of having reason positioned as sovereign ruler can a person be seen as acting autonomously. But it is not clear that when reason rules, it also motivates actions. Christine M. Korsgaard has argued that personal decision-making should be seen as analogous to political decision-making. She conceives of political decisions as a process where requests for action spring from the people, while rulers suffice to say yes or no. This chapter claims that this analysis is inadequate as a theory of how Plato portrays the relationship between the parts of the soul and of decision-making in general, and offers an alterantive interpreation in terms of what is called the Complex Model of Decision-Making.
Keywords
Information
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Platonic AutonomySelf-Determination, Unity, and Cooperation, pp. 58 - 80Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2025
Accessibility standard: WCAG 2.1 AA
The PDF of this book
complies with version 2.1 of the
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
(WCAG), covering newer accessibility requirements and improved
user experiences and achieves the intermediate
(AA)
level of WCAG compliance, covering a wider range of accessibility requirements.
Content Navigation
Table of contents navigation
Allows you to navigate directly to chapters, sections, or non‐text items through a linked table of contents, reducing the need for extensive scrolling.
Allows you to navigate directly to chapters, sections, or non‐text items through a linked table of contents, reducing the need for extensive scrolling.
Index navigation
Provides an interactive index, letting you go straight to where a term or subject appears in the text without manual searching.
Provides an interactive index, letting you go straight to where a term or subject appears in the text without manual searching.
Reading Order & Textual Equivalents
Single logical reading order
You will encounter all content (including footnotes, captions, etc.) in a clear, sequential flow, making it easier to follow with assistive tools like screen readers.
You will encounter all content (including footnotes, captions, etc.) in a clear, sequential flow, making it easier to follow with assistive tools like screen readers.
Short alternative textual descriptions
You get concise descriptions (for images, charts, or media clips), ensuring you do not miss crucial information when visual or audio elements are not accessible.
You get concise descriptions (for images, charts, or media clips), ensuring you do not miss crucial information when visual or audio elements are not accessible.
Visual Accessibility
Use of colour is not sole means of conveying information
You will still understand key ideas or prompts without relying solely on colour, which is especially helpful if you have colour vision deficiencies.
You will still understand key ideas or prompts without relying solely on colour, which is especially helpful if you have colour vision deficiencies.
Structural and Technical Features
ARIA roles provided
You gain clarity from ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) roles and attributes, as they help assistive technologies interpret how each part of the content functions.
You gain clarity from ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) roles and attributes, as they help assistive technologies interpret how each part of the content functions.