It is not only about the faculties that the ancient philosophers
disagree.... They are besides in radical disagreement about the
following questions: What are the parts of the soul; what is a part;
what is a faculty; what difference is there between a part and a
faculty?
The Stoics divide the soul into eight parts: the five senses, speech,
sex-power, and the directing (predominating) principle, which is served
by the other faculties, so that the soul is composed of a faculty that
commands, and faculties that obey.
In their writing about ethics, Plato and Aristotle divide the soul into
three parts. This division has been adopted by the greater part of
later philosophers; but these have not understood that the object of
this definition was to classify and define the virtues (Plato: reason,
anger and appetite; Aristotle: locomotion, appetite and understanding).
Indeed, if this classification be carefully scrutinized, it will be
seen that it fails to account for all the faculties of the soul; it
neglects imagination, sensibility, intelligence, and the natural
faculties (the generative and nutritive powers).
Other philosophers, such as Numenius, do not teach one soul in three
parts, like the preceding, nor in two, such as the rational and
irrational parts. They believe that we have two souls, one rational,
the other irrational. Some among them attribute immortality to both of
the souls; others attribute it only to the rational soul, and think
that death not only suspends the exercise of the faculties that belong
to the irrational soul, but even dissolves its "being" or essence.
Last, there are some that believe, that by virtue of the union of the
two souls, their movements are double, because each of them feels the
passions of the other.