PODG #7

            In chapter sixteen of The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian Gray reflects on Lord Henry’s philosophy. Lord Henry believes one must “cure the soul by means of the senses, and the senses by means of the soul” (135). Lord Henry’s philosophy is both true and untrue. A person can cure the soul be means of the senses when a person acts in a way that generates personal pleasure while keeping the soul pure; for example, donating to charity can result in personal pleasure as well as a pure soul. Conversely, the soul can be tainted be means of the senses. If a person feels pleasure when committing a murder, the soul is tainted rather than cured.  The second part of Lord Henry’s philosophy implies the true statement that senses can be cured by the soul. A person with a pure soul will perceive actions through senses that will elicit a good response from the person. However, the person must have a pure soul in order to perceive events through senses that are to cause the person to react in a good way. Thus, a person must have a pure soul in order for Lord Henry’s philosophy to be valid and universally true.