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PLATO did not, like Aristotle, devote a special treatise to the investigation of the nature and functions of the soul. On this, as on many other subjects, his views have to be collected from more or less incidental references scattered throughout the dialogues: and, owing to the-we might almost call it romantic-method of exposition which he adopts, it is not always easy to determine what degree of importance he means us to attach to his statements. In attempting, therefore, to give systematic formulation to his beliefs regarding the soul we must take account of the differing standpoints from which he approaches the subject: as also, of the order in which the dialogues are most likely to have been written: for during the fifty years or so over which Plato's literary activity spread itself his views underwent considerable changes.
Eric J. Roberts (Sun,) studied this question.