Plato's Concept of the Self

 Ancient Greek Philosopher, Plato, believes that the self is your soul and that it can be split into three parts; the rational, the spirited, and the appetite. 

The rational soul is a moral and rational guide for the self and is the part of the soul that Plato considers most important. It is located in the head and is what enables humans to perform cognitive functions such as thinking, analyzing, and reflecting. The spiritual soul represents someone's emotions. It is located in the heart and is what allows someone to feel emotions such as happiness, anger, love, etc. Finally, the appetite represents human desire and is located in the abdomen. It's what causes humans to desire things and our physical wants. 

Plato describes these three through a charioteer. The charioteer (rational) is driving a chariot that is controlled by two horses (spirited and appetite). The two horses are pulling in two separate directions as they are in conflict with each other. It is the charioteer's job to control the two horses by keeping the two balanced, otherwise, the charioteer won't reach his destination. Plato views the self as someone who is able to think rationally, has a clear vision of what they are doing, and is able to balance their spirit and appetite.