{"id":2468,"date":"2021-11-10T10:47:06","date_gmt":"2021-11-10T16:47:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.mandirigmafma.com\/?p=2468"},"modified":"2021-11-10T12:04:55","modified_gmt":"2021-11-10T18:04:55","slug":"the-tripartite-soul-of-plato-mind-of-freud","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.mandirigmafma.com\/index.php\/2021\/11\/10\/the-tripartite-soul-of-plato-mind-of-freud\/","title":{"rendered":"THE TRIPARTITE SOUL OF PLATO, MIND OF FREUD"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Though the “Triune Brain” theory has been disproved, the base theory stills holds weight<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Triune Brain Theory from Paul D. MacLean was a 60\u00b4s formulation on brain activity which explained that we have 3 unique and independent structures, or brains, that dictated action and worked inter-connectedly with each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. The Lizard\/Primitive\/Reptilian Brain, which operated involuntary processes like breathing, heart-rate, body temperature, and proprioception. Also aggression, dominance, territoriality, and the like.<\/li>
  2. The Limbic System, or the emotional brain, where the fight-or-flight response delved from, as well as other emotion, body language, and behavior.<\/li>
  3. The Neocortex, or the rational brain, where language, logic, the abstract, planning, tactics, and other elements delved from.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Since the rise of neuroscience, this theory has been inevitably debunked as wildly-inaccurate and disproved, yet it still finds its way into conversations with regularity, including academic and scientific circles. It has become one of the hallowed neuro-myths along with the idea we humans only use 10% of our brain, that we have a preferential learning method (visual-auditory-kinesthetic), and the left-brain vs. right-brain default, all of which have fallen by the wayside yet still seem to have every bit the momentum regardless. As learning tools, I can see why they, as metaphors or allegories, have appeal to the over-simplification crowd, but is propagating outdated erroneous theories the best way to teach the average person wanting base information? Aren\u00b4t there better ways? Is even a relatable analogy for easy-explanation a viable usage model when that use is inevitably complete garbage? Debatable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Anyways, instead of moving into current, updated times, maybe some (like the Triune Brain Theory) we should dive into where they originated and go back in history. Sometimes history has brilliant ways of staying true today regardless of how it\u00b4s been mangled or manipulated into something seemingly \u201cnew and fresh.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    In Plato\u00b4s \u201cRepublic\u201d, he talked about something dubbed the \u201cTripartite Soul\u201d, which was not a split-brain concept but based on human desire from the psyche or soul, to which \u201cthe mind\u201d would be a good relation in modern transferability. We have 3 elements that make up our decisions and direction:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. The logos (logic mnemonic), located in the head or brain, is connected with order, logic, reason, discourse. (reason, rationale)<\/li>
    2. The thymos (thyroid\/hormonal mnemonic), located in the chest or heart, is connected with emotions. (spirit, emotion)<\/li>
    3. The eros (erotic mnemonic), located in the gut or stomach area, connected with desire or necessity. (appetite, desire)<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Freud had his own version with the Tripartite Mind, describing the “Id” (primal\/eros), the “ego” (analytical\/logos), and the “superego” (emotional\/thymos), and affixed it to systems of personality, not brain-function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      So it\u00b4s not hard to see MacLean\u00b4s original inspirations for the Triune Brain theory. Logos\/ego being the neocortex, thymos\/superego the limbic system, and eros\/id the lizard brain. Not a coincidence whatsoever. That being said, Plato\u00b4s (and Freud\u00b4s as well) original theory was based on it being soul-, psyche-, personality-, totality-of-mind-applicable, not a neuroscientific theory on cerebral function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      So let\u2019s take this one step further. We are, quite simply, driven by different states and behaviors that affect our actions throughout our daily lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      1. ANALYTICAL. We have the logical, rational, reasoning mind. The one grounds us throughout our day. Causes existential-thought. High-level processing. Problem-solving. Analytical-thinking. Critical-thinking. It tries, sometimes desperately, to constantly regulate, reel-in, control, or restrain the other two.<\/li>
      2. EMOTIONAL. We have emotion, that at its both positive and negative extreme end, runs rampant and threatens to overrule logical thinking \u2013 and sometimes does when anger, sadness, joy, euphoria, stress, anxiety, tension operate at their utmost levels. (Hormonal and chemicals have long been linked with our emotions and moods as well.) Is it self-created and artificial or controlled and containable? I won\u00b4t get into that here as I\u00b4ve about that particular debate in another area already.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
        \n
        EMOTION: CONSTRUCTS OR TRIGGERS?<\/a><\/blockquote>