Platon Felsefesinde Ruh-Beden İlişkisinin Dönüşümü
The Transformation of the Soul-Body Relationship in Plato's Philosophy

Summary/Abstract: The soul–body relationship has continued to be one of the fundamental topics in the history of philosophy since antiquity. Given Plato’s central position in this tradition, studies on the subject inevitably engage with the issues he addressed. In this context, an inquiry into the transformation of the soul-body relationship in Plato’s philosophy is expected to contribute to the existing literature. This article therefore seeks to answer the question: Has Plato’s attitude toward the body changed throughout his intellectual development? Since Plato’s early dialogues, influenced by Socrates, are largely inconclusive, the study focuses on his transitional and late dialogues in order to clarify his position on the soul-body relationship. An examination of the transitional dialogues-Gorgias, Phaedo, and Meno-shows that the soul is treated both explicitly and implicitly as a central theme, whereas the body is mentioned only superficially, primarily as an obstacle to the soul’s attainment of truth. Findings from this period suggest that human beings can attain their full humanity only through the soul and its inherent qualities. To further address the research question, the article turns to Timaeus, one of Plato’s late dialogues, which engages directly with the soul–body problem. The analysis of this dialogue reveals a significant shift in Plato’s perspective: in his later thought, the body is examined in detail and comes to occupy an essential place in human life. Whereas in the transitional period the body was conceived merely as an impediment to be overcome for the soul’s potential to unfold, in the later period it is reconceived as an entity that must be disciplined. Consequently, it can be concluded that Plato’s conception of the soul-body relationship underwent a transformation from a narrative centered exclusively on the soul to a more integrated framework that also takes the body into serious consideration.

• Details
• Contents