Books and the Platonic Soul

While I hope my tombstone doesn't resemble Royal's, I wouldn't mind so terribly if it mentioned a thing or two about being a bibliophile (presumably after such phrases as devoted husband, loving father, and all the important things). I'll be the first to admit it: I love collecting books almost as much as I enjoy reading them. In the case of classic works such as, say, Dicken's Bleak House, the order of preference is reversed, which is why I have three copies of the volume and have spent little scrutinizing it for anything other than the significance of Karl Popper's reference to Mrs. Jellyby in the Open Society and Its Enemies. But either way, me and books jive pretty well...especially if I don't have to read them, a demand that a class might make.

I've been troubled for some time now by a phenomenon that must plague every partisan of the printed page. One can collect books at about seventeen times the rate one can read them. With unlimited resources (as are occasionally available to me when drink and Amazon collide), the ratio grows even more dire. After a time, when one stops collecting books previously read and moves onto tomes that one's eyes have yet to examine internally, the question must arise...should I stop? That is, should I stop purchasing books at a much faster rate than I can read them?

Though this question has troubled me for quite some time, I can say, with complete confidence, it troubles me no more. The answer: no. The answerer? Plato.

Yes, indeed, Plato's quick sketch of the soul has liberated me from this concern.

As everyone knows (ahem), Plato divided the soul into three parts (okay he divided it a bit more than that, but three will do for now, thank you very much). Each portion of the soul has a love or desire. The philosophic part loves wisdom, the courageous portion honor, and the desirous or money-making loves gain. In short, the trick to happiness is making sure that each part minds its own business, which for Plato means that the reason-loving part gets to kick the crap out of every other part.

Ooookay. So, book loving...how does that fit in hear? Well, I ask you, what's the better way to satisfy the reason-loving part of your soul? Presumably, when you can't get in a good argument, to read a good book. And does not a sweet book collection make you the envy of your intellectual (read: worthwhile) friends? And doesn't the purchase of massive numbers of books sate that gain-loving beast that inhabits the depths of your soul?

Ah, yes, thank you Plato. With your aid, we would never have realized it's okay to buy lots of books and that the world should like The Giver.

Okay, come on all you smart*** philosophy types. Tell me how stupid this comparison is. I dare you. Plato's got my back.