Plato’s “Noble” Rhetoric in Disney-Pixar Movie, “Soul”

How does the Disney/Pixar movie “Soul” help us understand the practical operations of Plato’s “noble” rhetoric?

First, provide Plato’s account of the soul, then provide Soul’s account, and then finish by explaining how the film can help us better grasp the efforts of rhetoric seeking to lead souls toward truth. What concrete examples from the film help guide our understanding of soul suasion? It might help to imagine yourself counseling a speaker in the fine arts of Plato’s noble rhetoric. Think about the canon of the invention (the processing of coming up with one’s appeals). What is most important to know about the soul, in concrete terms, to lead audiences toward noble ends? The question the movie is meant to help resolve, then, is whether Plato’s noble rhetoric can be accomplished in practical, real-world, everyday terms.