- Capitalism and Alternatives -

I just think he was an insightful philosopher that interested me, just as Machavelli can interest me without me agreeing with his realism

In Reply to: Lark's foot-in-typewriter posted by Samuel Day Fassbinder on November 15, 1999 at 11:42:53:

: SDF: It's important to remember that Plato's male aristocratic society disguised its relation to the working class by making most of its members into slaves (incl. of course the women) and that much of the Republic is a diatribe on how everyone has his "natural" place in society. So why, again, do you like Plato (pref. accompanied by a specific textual citation)?

Oh, yeah, I know he's one of the advocates of "Good Fuedalism" or "Organised Benevolent eliteism", a bit like say, Saint Simon, I never said he was a Socialist I just think he was an insightful philosopher that interested me, just as Machavelli can interest me without me agreeing with his realism or worldly logical for controlling nations through rithless autocracy.

Plato was writting following the death of Socrates for defiance of dictates and I was largely taking the position, not unlike some Marxists, that a trustworthy dictatorship or highminded intellectuals could resolve all problems and prevent situations like the death of Socrates happening again, that's one way of seeing it I suppose.

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