It can be said that both Plato's tripartite soul and Hippocrates' theory
of temperament were influential in Galen's perception of ethics. In this respect,
Galen, who presents a kind of composition of the effective philosophical and
medical traditions of his day, is outside the tradition with his understanding of
physicalist psychology. Considering the capacities of the soul as depending on
the temperament of the body, Galen generally displays a deterministic attitude
towards ethics, that is, the…
Read moreIt can be said that both Plato's tripartite soul and Hippocrates' theory
of temperament were influential in Galen's perception of ethics. In this respect,
Galen, who presents a kind of composition of the effective philosophical and
medical traditions of his day, is outside the tradition with his understanding of
physicalist psychology. Considering the capacities of the soul as depending on
the temperament of the body, Galen generally displays a deterministic attitude
towards ethics, that is, the development of the soul. This is because the natural
and physical structure is difficult to change. On the other hand, Galen, whom we
can call both a physician and a "philosophical therapist", argues that character
traits (ethos) can be changed "to the extent that nature allows" through education and habituation at an early age. This article will try to determine and evaluate the possibility Galen ascribes to ethical change and development in humans
in the context of character traits.