Y'know, it's opined that Socrates, and his student, Plato, were both inclined towards authoritarian government, particularly rule by philosophers
True. I thought about this many times over the years. Remember reading that Socrates once asked (quoting from memory): "If you want to find out something, Are you going to ask one man who knows, or a hundred men who don't know?"
I think this is possibly the single most anti-democratic statement I ever heard in my life. And yet, it does have the ring of truth. Probably, it depends on.... what it is that you want to know. An expert may help you build a bridge, but may be unable to solve social issues very well. [Democratically] asking a hundred men may be wiser.
I think that back in those days, when people were discovering the power and the beauty of logical thinking, they may have overrated rational thinking - for cases when it is applied to areas like economic activity, social relationships, etc. I think that Marxists and many of the later day progressivists and socioeconomic engineers are committing the same error. Too often, using limited assumptions, what you get is garbage in - and garbage out.
Going back to Socrates.... it is fascinating that if one of his young students, Plato, wouldn't make it his life's work writing down and developing further his ideas, the great Socrates would remain totally unknown. He would be, at most, just a footnote in a few plays written by the comedians of the age, where he was usually treated with derision.
Socrates must have been an incredibly annoying guy. He so much irritated his fellow citizens that eventually they convicted him on drummed up charges and had him drink poison. Tolerance for different ideas and criticisms back in those days was not any better than it is today.... :) |
