(January 7, 2018 at 9:51 am)Khemikal Wrote:(January 7, 2018 at 4:37 am)vulcanlogician Wrote: Plato thought-snipped
So unkind to Plato, lol...and I understand his limitations...but..it reminds me of D&D nerds bickering about the powers of dragon.
Plato thought (unsnipped) that democracy was dangerous, especially with uneducated masses. His fear was that the system would become broken and unable to solve the simplest problems. At that point, said uneducated masses would come forth and elect a charming, self-obsessed, wealthy buffoon who had no skill no government--simply because he would convince them that he can "fix" everything. Sound familiar?
Plato is still relevant. He believed in the education of all citizens for the benefit of society. I strongly agree with Plato on this. If we had a robust system of education in place, available to all citizens, we'd be a lot better off right now. We'd also have a different president.
He was one of the three bright lights in ancient Athens. He was incredibly insightful, and our intellectual history would have suffered without his influence.
If he/she can pass a saving throw vs bad idea, Plato has much to teach the modern reader too.
