Emotions and Reason in Alexander of Aphrodisias: the Place of aidôs in the Human Soul

Aischynê was one of the most important emotions in the ancient Greek culture, and, more specifically, it had a significant role in Plato’s philosophy. As a matter of fact, feeling shame for your false beliefs and misbehaving is, according to Plato, a powerful motivation for becoming wise and good. As a consequence, the relationship between aischynê and the tripartite soul of the Republic has been an object of interest for a few scholars. The researches published so far have focused on the problem of the location of shame in the logistikon or in the thymoeides, and in this context a passage from Aristotle’s Topics may seem a witness to Plato’s view on the matter, so it is worthwhile to inquire the merit of this passage as a source. However, the role of aischynê in the tripartite soul is not limited to being caused by one part of the other, because in any case it integrates into the activities of the logistikon. It is therefore advisable to study how shame helps reason to reach its end in the Republic. A close reading of the dialogue in parallel with the other works by Plato and with Aristotle’s Topics and a survey of the relevant secondary literature allow to specify these hitherto understudied features of aischynê.