Plato for Today: Listening Without Being Carried Away

The chapter's central question

The harmony Plato speaks of is not equalization of all voices. It is an order in which reason leads in judging what is good for life as a whole, spirit supports that judgment, and desire enjoys necessary satisfaction but does not dominate the whole. Habits, education, music, and even community institutions are involved in this harmony.

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Modern people often blame themselves by being trapped in the frame of ‘emotional person = immature and mentally weak person’. However, from Plato's perspective, the swirling emotions are proof that the two horses within me are alive and well and breathing.

The anger I feel at my boss's unfair treatment is evidence that my pride (white horse) is alive, and the laziness of wanting to lie down in bed and rest after work is also a natural instinct to maintain life (the black horse).

The problem is not the emotions themselves, but the driver (reason) being distracted by a smartphone or momentary stimulus and letting go of the reins. Don't hate the words inside me. Holding their hands, holding the reins tightly, and directing that mighty energy to the destination in life that I really want to reach—that is the true inner peace (Harmonia) that Plato taught me.

Context and nuance

Plato's theory of emotions is not organized in a single, independent theoretical book. The full picture is revealed only when the theory of justice in Republic, the soul and love in 『Phaedrus』, and the theory of eros in 『The Feast』 are read together. Emotion is not a lump on the other side of reason; it is a matter of how the different forces of the soul form an order.

When translating it into today’s language, it is important not to reduce it to a self-help statement: ‘Control your emotions.’ For Plato, the individual mind and the order of the city mirror each other. We must also ask what stimuli are repeated, what we call success, and whose desires the society rewards.

Do not oversimplify it this way

Plato's image of the head, chest, stomach and two horses should not be read like an anatomy diagram of modern brain science. This is a philosophical model that shows the conflict and educability within the soul. Also, fixating the black horse as evil and the white horse as good misses the point of the metaphor. The power of desire is also necessary to move one's life, and the key is not elimination but attunement.

Philosophy in life

I'm on a diet, but at 11pm, I smell ramen and think, 'I have to endure it!' and 'Let's eat it just for today!' Have you ever been tormented in between?

When an urge arises (late-night snacking, shopping spree): Give it a name: ‘Ah, the black horse (desire) inside me is screaming that it’s hungry.’

Primary-source guide

Primary guide: Republic IV, Phaedrus 246a–257b, and Symposium 210a–212a.

Pathos Editorial · Reviewed 2026-09-12