A Study on the Goal of Gymnastics in Plato's Thought

The Reexamination of the Concept ‘Courage’ and the Mechanism of its Cultivation

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to reexamine the concept of courage (ανδρεια) which Plato regards as the goal of gymnastics (γυμναστικη) and to clarify the mechanism of cultivating the courage.
The procedure adopted in this investigation is as follows:
1. The concept ‘courage’ was examined in Plato's thought based on the three moments of the soul (ψυΧη): the rational part (λογιστικóν), the spirited part (θυμοειδεs), and the appetitive part (επιθυμητικóν).
2. Plato's gymnastics was analyzed to show its structure and goal.
3. The mechanism of cultivating the courage was clarified, depending on the results obtained by the investigations in 1 and 2.
The results are summarized as follows:
1. The courage is based on the three moments of the soul; The courage lies in their relations- the spirited part doesn't obey the appetitive part and helps the rational part which keeps the right idea.
2. Plato's gymnastics is made up of three moments: the movements of educational materials, movements instructor, and a person who is taught the movements. And its goal is the cultivation of the courage in the soul.
3. The mechanism of cultivating the courage is clarified in the relations in which a person is guided by an instructor who teaches the movements of educational materials. He (She) who is taught the movements by the instructor gets physical strength and mental vitality. As the result of it, in his (her) soul, the spirited part is intensified and the relation in which it helps the rational part is cultivated.