Reflection
Plato addressed the issue of individual justice by dividing the human soul into three parts – the rational part of the soul, the appetitive part of the soul, and the spirited part of the soul – and relating the three divisions of the soul to the three corresponding virtues: wisdom, benevolence, and courage. Plato also states that individual justice consists of maintaining these three parts in the correct structural and power relationships. The movie The Wizard Of Oz approaches this philosophical concept through the three distinct characters with whom Dorothy befriended while on her journey through the Land of Oz. As Dorothy encounters various characters such as the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion, she comes to know that each one of them feels they lack one of the virtues vital to human nature. The Scarecrow wants a brain and therefore lacks the virtue of wisdom, the Tin Man needs a heart and therefore lacks the virtue of benevolence, and the Cowardly Lion longs to be King of the Forest but lacks the virtue of courage.
According to Plato’s partition of the soul, each of the three parts of the soul is tied to a specific virtue that will lead to justice. The rational part of the soul desires truth and knowledge to analyze, look ahead, and try to logically determine what is the best decision to make overall. This division of the soul is parallel to the function of thinking and to the virtue of wisdom. Wisdom can be interpreted as the whole knowledge to comprehend reality and to make impartial judgments. The first character Dorothy encounters is the brainless Scarecrow, who believes that there is much more he could do if only he was wiser. The Scarecrow represents people who cannot make rational decisions for themselves and are always going to follow somebody else. Just as the Scarecrow seeks a brain, the rational part of the soul seeks truth and is responsible for our philosophical inclinations. The rational division of the soul is essential to human nature so we can understand what we need to know in order to direct our lives properly. Despite the Scarecrow’s doubts about his own intelligence, he proves to be the most clever and resourceful of the group.
The appetitive part of the soul desires sensual satisfaction, and is the portion of each individual that wants and feels many things. Plato notes that there are so many appetites that they can often be in conflict with each other, and that we must resist many of our appetites in order to achieve some degree of self-control. This division of the soul corresponds to the function of feeling and to the virtue of benevolence. Benevolence can be understood as the true goodness of the mind and spirit and the unbalanced kindness to do good. The next character encountered on Dorothy’s quest is the heartless Tin Man, who believes he has nothing to give and that his lack of a heart makes him incapable of love. The Tin Man represents those who feel neglected or perhaps brokenhearted and abused. Just as the Tin Man lusts after a heart, the appetitive soul lusts after emotions and desires. The appetitive soul is vital to human nature in order to love and extend to everyone the warmth of personal affirmation. In actuality, the Tin Man has more heart than he realizes and comes to understand that the heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others.
The spirited part of the soul is the will to take action and overcome challenges, and aims at achieving honor. This part of the soul directly correlates to the function of will and to the virtue of courage. Courage can be construed as that which “keeps safe the right and lawful opinion concerning things to be feared” (Plato, The Republic, p. 84). Dorothy and her two companions ultimately encounter the Cowardly Lion, who believes his lack of courage is preventing him from becoming King of the Forest. The Cowardly Lion represents those who have lost their courage and have become oppressed and downhearted. Just as the Cowardly Lion desires courage, the spirited part of the soul desires honor and is responsible for our feelings of anger and indignation. This division of the soul is crucial to human nature in order to face dangers, difficulties, and oppositions, without abandoning our commitment to what is right. Courage gives us the strength to stand by what we know and those we love. The Cowardly Lion is not cowardly at all, but is rather a victim of disorganized thinking by merely confusing courage with wisdom.
Conclusion
The tripartite division of the soul explained by Plato through The Republic can be observed throughout the movie The Wizard Of Oz and the three characters of the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion. These three characters should not be viewed as individuals who seek one thing, but rather as a triumvirate or collectivity that seeks to incorporate the virtues of wisdom, benevolence, and courage as a whole. Although the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion thought they lacked something – wisdom, a sensitive heart, and courageous strength – each of these characters unknowingly had the attribute and leadership quality for which he was seeking all along. When the Scarecrow devises a plan to furtively sneak into the castle of the Wicked Witch of the West in order to rescue Dorothy, he portrays the virtue of wisdom. When the Tin Man uses his axe in order to release Dorothy from a locked room in the castle of the Wicked Witch, he portrays the virtue of benevolence. When the Cowardly Lion is willing to lead his two companions into the castle of the Wicked Witch, he portrays the virtue of courage. In spite of each of these acts, it is only after the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion receive a diploma, a ticking heart clock, and a medal of courage, respectively, from the Wizard of Oz that they feel they possess the virtue for which each was looking for. The reality is that each of these virtues was buried deep in their person and only became manifest after acknowledgement from the wizard. Many people go through life thinking that they lack a particular virtue, and it is not until someone else tells them, shows them, or gives them some type of testimonial that they realize that they possessed the virtue within themselves the entire time. Plato holds that wisdom, benevolence, and courage are the virtues in which we should strive to find within ourselves as well as see in others. Only by developing these three virtues through one’s own experiences, surroundings, and environment, is an individual able to truly exhibit a just soul.
