(June 1, 2014 at 12:02 pm)Brian37 Wrote: Yes, I am with Dawkins in blaming Plato for his bad ideas that set up all the bad logic in humanity that followed. His ideas of questioning were not a bad thing. Where Plato went wrong is that he had no clue how important testing and falsification are in reality. Where politics and religion in the future were unduly influenced was his bad idea of "If you simply think about something you can find its essence". Utopian thought in humans exploded because of that bad idea and we still suffer from it today.
I don't follow this. As far as I remember, Plato's writings on essence had to do with metaphysics relating to the concept of an object, not politics. So I really don't see what that has to do with what you're saying.
Quote:If you want a better understanding read his preface to "The Greatest Show On Earth".
Bottom line for me, even when atheists do it it gives me a lip twitch, I really hate speculating about utopias because there will never be any such thing. The world I could see being more peaceful but ultimately humans still have individual desires and still would include cruelty and compassion.
I don't like talking about utopias because I think the concept of perfection is probably incoherent, or at the very least poorly defined. However, I have no problem talking about an ideal - yet imperfect - society. Nor do I think it's impossible for there to be one.
"The reason things will never get better is because people keep electing these rich cocksuckers who don't give a shit about you."
-George Carlin
-George Carlin
