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Full Idea
We have by nature these three appropriate relationships, corresponding to each form of the soul's parts - to pleasure because of the appetitive part, to success because of the competitive part, and to rectitude because of the rational part.
Clarification
'Rectitude' is 'uprightness', hence good behaviour
Gist of Idea
Each part of the soul has its virtue - pleasure for appetite, success for competition, and rectitude for reason
Source
Galen (On Hippocrates and Plato [c.170], 5.5.8)
Book Ref
'The Hellenistic Philosophers:Vol.1 translations', ed/tr. Long,A. /Sedley,D. [CUP 1987], p.415
A Reaction
This is a nice combination of Plato's tripartite theory of soul (in 'Republic') and Aristotle's derivation of virtues from functions. Presumably, though, reason should master the other two, and there is nothing in Galen's idea to explain this.
| 6003 | Galen showed by experiment that the brain controls the body [Galen, by Hankinson] |
| 6030 | Each part of the soul has its virtue - pleasure for appetite, success for competition, and rectitude for reason [Galen] |
| 7453 | Galen's medicine followed the mean; each illness was balanced by opposite treatment [Galen, by Hacking] |
| 21799 | We just use the word 'faculty' when we don't know the psychological cause [Galen] |
| 23248 | Early empiricists said reason was just a useless concept introduced by philosophers [Galen, by Frede,M] |
| 23219 | Stopping the heart doesn't terminate activity; pressing the brain does that [Galen, by Cobb] |
| 23220 | The brain contains memory and reason, and is the source of sensation and decision [Galen] |
| 23268 | We execute irredeemable people, to protect ourselves, as a deterrent, and ending a bad life [Galen] |
| 23269 | Philosophy must start from clearly observed facts [Galen] |
| 23264 | Philosophers think faculties are in substances, and invent a faculty for every activity [Galen] |
| 23265 | The rational part of the soul is the desire for truth, understanding and recollection [Galen] |
| 23266 | The spirit in the soul wants freedom, power and honour [Galen] |