"The Tripartite Psychosomatic Organism" / Dr. John Glanville

Background Information: The "Platonic Snowman" Diagram

The information above was taken from the notes I wrote in Dr. John Glanville's Medieval Philosophy (Phil 302) class on 16 March 2000, and in his Ancient Philosophy (Phil 301) class on 12 December 2000. In addition to the information in the diagram, he spoke about other things in connection with the different levels of what I called at the time the "Platonic Snowman" for short, which correspond to the different groups, virtues, and causes.

For example, he said that the Guardians are connected to the Rational faculty (human life), and that they have a directive function as leaders in society. The Auxiliaries are the Spirited element (animal life) in society, and that is why he drew wings on the middle section of the "Snowman" — because the Auxiliaries can soar above the others as they protect the social order. He then said that the Producers possess the Appetitive quality (vegetative life), and that they produce the things that allow society to function, but they also consume the goods of society.

Finally, according to Dr. Glanville there are other things that correspond to each group; and I will relate just a few more before concluding this note. He said that the Guardians are contemplative because they possess knowledge and understanding, while the Auxiliaries are political and they exemplify duty and honor, and finally, the Producers are the workers and they seek pleasure, which is why they need to possess the virtue of self-control. These are just a few of the things Dr. Glanville spoke about in Ancient and Medieval Philosophy, and perhaps someday I will try to transcribe my notes from both classes in a more complete form.

Steven Todd Kaster

8 February 2026