The Trump Era And Plato's Republic

Dying Empires lean towards fascism as they fall.

I almost didn't write this post because the people who it is intended to reach, most likely, won't actually read it in its entirety. 

It's not about the Kardashians, or a sex scandal, though it is about politics, so in order to hold your attention I'll say it's about TRUMP (more accurately the inherent flaws of our political system as pointed out in Plato's republic).

I was rereading some of Will Durant's analysis of Plato's Republic, which is a discussion about the necessary components in creating the best possible society, specifically on how it is to be governed and who it is to be governed by, and I can’t help but think that we have learned almost nothing since it was written, thousands of years ago. 

It appears that our current and flawed political system, was guaranteed to eventually produce the leadership currently in power. 

Plato is quick to point out the flaws of aristocracy, plutocracy, oligarchy, etc, and their inevitability to fail, which eventually, in most cases leads to some form of democracy. 

The people take back power and distribute it amongst themselves and for a moment everyone is convinced that everything is fixed, that this is indeed the best type of rule.

"But even democracy ruins itself by excess—of democracy. It's basic principle is the equal right of all to hold office and determine public policy. This is at first glance a delightful arrangement; but it becomes disastrous because the people are not properly equipped by education to select the best rulers and wisest courses.”

So, before it even gets started, democracy is dependent on an informed and properly educated populous, to be trusted in electing those qualified to lead. The people must have a foundation of eduction, intelligence, and interest worthy of a voice.

It seems that the founding fathers may have taken this into account when they designed our county to be a democratically elected Republic. (We vote for our leaders [democratic] who represent us [republic], it’s not a true democracy).

But they didn't solve the problem they just attempted to create a barrier between the people and the decisions. The problem is that those who are the barrier are elected by the same people the founding fathers didn't trust to make the actual decisions themselves.

Plato goes on to say, "the crowd so loves flattery, that the wiliest most unscrupulous flatterer, calling himself the protector of the people (the majority) rises to supreme power.”

The more he thinks about it the more ridiculous he finds a Democratic republic to be. He says that in every other aspect; like medicine or carpentry we look to someone with the expertise and skill to fulfill the task but in politics we presume that everyone who knows how to get votes knows how to rule a city or state. 

In addition to the inherent flaws in our political philosophy he mentions the "psychological problem". To this he says "Like man, like state"

We can't expect to have a better society without better citizens. How can we be surprised by our current political climate when the most famous family in the county is the Kardashians and the most popular entertainment is mere escapism and distraction?

Plato says that human behavior flows from three main sources: Desire, emotion, and knowledge. 

Desire: has its seat in the loins, bursting with energy. Appetite, impulse, instinct.

Emotion: seated in the heart; spirit, ambition, courage. It is the organic resonance of desire.

Knowledge: seated in the head is thought, intellect, reason. It is the eye of desire and can become the pilot of the soul.

These three factors are in all men but in differing degrees. 

Those who are ruled by desire, who are absorbed with material quests and quarrels, and who burn with the lust of luxuries and show. These are the men who dominate and manipulate industry (sound familiar? Word association: comb over).

Those who are emotionally rooted, who are temples of feeling and courage, who care not so much what they fight for, as for victory in itself, their pride is in power rather than acquisition. These are the men who make armies and navies of the world.

"And the last, are the few whose delight is in meditation and understanding; who yearn not for goods, nor for victory, but for knowledge; who leave both the market and battlefield to lose themselves in secluded thought; whose will is a light rather than a fire, whose haven is not power but Truth: these are the men who stand aside, unused by the world. The untapped leaders.

"Unguided by knowledge, the people are a multitude without order...ruin comes when the trader whose heart is lifted up by wealth, becomes ruler" The same is said of the military minded. 

The producer is best in the economic field, the warrior is at his best in battle. Both are at their worst in public office.

Plato is saying that until philosophers (wise men) are rulers or rulers have the spirit and power of philosophy (wisdom, virtue, truth, honor, intelligence) society will never reach its peak. And the problem with democracy (uninformed, unintelligent and disinterested democracy) is that the people are incapable of electing representatives worthy of leading and running a society.

He goes on to lay out an elaborate and difficult process to achieve such a utopia that is too in depth to sum up here (I suggest to read it if you are interested and capable of stomaching it), some of it is very controversial and some of it is completely rational.

I just wanted to point out the inherent flaw in our system if it doesn't stand on a firm foundation, of informative and educated participation of intelligent self aware citizens led by rational, and not by desire and emotion.

NOFX possibly put it best when they said "Majority rule doesn't work in mental institutions”

So until we can restore some sanity, a functioning democracy is probably too much to ask for.