Book 8? More like "Post Late!" (Hehe...)
You know, I thought I would dislike the entirety of Plato's Republic, but I did find the later part of Book 8 to be quite interesting, even if just relative to the rest of the book. Though, I did feel that Socrates was trying to "@ me," in the words of either Gray or Zane, I cannot remember which.
Anyway, it's funny how Socrates gave the reasons for why communism and socialism do not work, in very simple terms: "...Therefore, they always get a share... to the extent that the leaders, in taking away the substance of those who have it and distributing it among the people, are able to keep the greatest part for themselves...." It is a wonder that nobody listens to this argument when they are discussing those types of government/economy.
Oh, wait, I forgot. Lots of people nowadays assume that people of the past were dumber and didn't understand the world as well as we do now. While I do admit that more knowledge about the world is compiled and available today - though a lot of information is filtered so much so that it is not entirely truth anymore - people in eras past were more apt to be wiser, and understand the world better, despite their lower level of knowledge and technology.
We should not assume that we are better than the knowledge and wisdom of the past, as even today, we can use what was thought about and written more than two thousand years ago.
-- Isaac S. Wilson
PostScript:
I commented on Phillip and Dakota's posts
Written between 1:00 AM and 1:45 AM
(Sorry, I and my brothers were discussing stuff, and they are still talking outside my door as I'm writing, and I can't focus as well as normal.)
Anyway, it's funny how Socrates gave the reasons for why communism and socialism do not work, in very simple terms: "...Therefore, they always get a share... to the extent that the leaders, in taking away the substance of those who have it and distributing it among the people, are able to keep the greatest part for themselves...." It is a wonder that nobody listens to this argument when they are discussing those types of government/economy.
Oh, wait, I forgot. Lots of people nowadays assume that people of the past were dumber and didn't understand the world as well as we do now. While I do admit that more knowledge about the world is compiled and available today - though a lot of information is filtered so much so that it is not entirely truth anymore - people in eras past were more apt to be wiser, and understand the world better, despite their lower level of knowledge and technology.
We should not assume that we are better than the knowledge and wisdom of the past, as even today, we can use what was thought about and written more than two thousand years ago.
-- Isaac S. Wilson
PostScript:
I commented on Phillip and Dakota's posts
Written between 1:00 AM and 1:45 AM
(Sorry, I and my brothers were discussing stuff, and they are still talking outside my door as I'm writing, and I can't focus as well as normal.)
I would love to sit back and listen to a formal argument between Socrates and modern day advocates for socialism,communism,and what ever other -isms we are after nowadays . No because Socrates would be the victor of the argument, but rather because I believe he would pose questions and arguments not often brought up in today's discussions. It would be an enlightening and very interesting experience.
ReplyDelete