Phil Connors, the character in Groundhog Day underwent a radical change after watching it. Phil Connors must relive a single day. He will choose morals from Plato Republic based on the decisions he makes. Plato’s discussion of the soul is a good example. Phil reaches a higher level in philosophy by the end.

Plato stated in his Republic that there are three souls: the rational one, the spirited one, and the appetite-driven. Your rational soul is what you do when you think, plan, govern, and calculate. The part of your soul that deals more with emotions is called the Spirited Soul. You can feel your familiar emotions and unfamiliar ones. Phil Connors’ main character is most resonant with the aggressive soul because it corresponds to his lower pleasure desires. Phil Connors is shown to be a narcissistic, self-righteous man who only cares about himself. He manifests as a self-righteous, narcissistic individual whose only focus is on himself. Plato said that Phil had not reached the higher pleasure region. Phil performs as charming because of his occupation as a meteorologist. Connors’ emotions change dramatically when he is not on camera. We can see how he views the world off camera. His coworkers once asked him how excited was he to cover Punxsutawney Groundhog Day in Pennsylvania. Phil replies “They take the rat away.” He talks to them. They talk to him. They tell what will happen”. The movie quote shows that Phil was very negative and grumpy at the beginning of this film.

Phil decides to recreate Groundhog Day in order to prove his point that he was right when he said, “We are free to do what we please”. Phil’s selfishness is evident when he asks Nancy personal questions to trick her into sleeping with Phil the next morning. Phil’s self-esteem is a major problem for his character. He takes advantage of these moments for his own benefit, treating others as mere objects. He tried to commit suicide because being selfish was so boring. But he changed his attitude and now tries to find the positive in every situation. He is a person with a deontological perspective on life. He changed this because he felt that these pleasures did not give him the satisfaction he desired. After this, he became infatuated with Rita. He tried to focus his attentions on Rita’s wants and her love. After spending a lot of time with Rita he began to recite French Poetry. Phil’s morals would make a philosopher say this was wrong. He does this only to gain Rita’s love, not to be right. He was able to change his outlook on the situation and become a man of better morals. Plato writes in his book how few people achieve this kind of transformation. Phil searches for good in situations and views them spiritually. Phil’s life has undergone dramatic changes. He starts to learn to read and play the piano.

Phil Connors’ experience was not real, but the movie is a good example for all those who have watched it. Most people’s lives will be a rollercoaster ride of emotions, as Plato describes it. The appetitive spirit will be experienced and they will seek lower pleasures, but also find the good. Phil is now a more mature person. Most people would be content to live life as an appetitive individual. He is now eager to learn to better himself and to help others.