Search This Blog

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Completely Frustrated

I read a blog on the Record-Eagle site today and wanted to leave a comment. Signed up for a password. Got it. Tried to leave a comment. Nothing doing. My name appears, but I can't paste in my comment. Signed in with my Google account--same result. Okay, you can go read the original column yourself if you're interested. The author cited Plato as an inspiration for the framers of the U.S. Constitution, which to me was a very scary idea. Here's my response:
I highly recommend THE TRIAL OF SOCRATES, by Stone, for a rare, critical look at Plato’s political philosophy. To cite only one example, Plato believed that his philosopher-kings should govern an ignorant populace with lies. This is hardly (one hopes!) the view of our Founding Fathers. As for Aristotle continuing Plato’s dualism, that is a complicated subject, but suffice it to say that he did not share Plato’s disdain for the natural, material world, for this world. He believed, in fact, that the body is the “form” of the soul, the soul the beginning and end of action. It was Aquinas who resurrected Aristotle and brought his philosophy into Catholic thought, where the basic idea was to bring people to any right idea, even the existence of God, by way of reason.


Every philosopher is at heart either a Platonist or an Aristotelian. Plato didn’t get everything wrong, and Aristotle didn’t get everything right, but I think most Americans would prefer to be reasoned with rather than lied to.

I may go back and see if I can type in the comment, though it wouldn't let me do that, either, the other times. Anyone else have a problem leaving comments on the Record-Eagle site? Got ideas for how to make it work?

2 comments:

Gerry said...

First of all, I really like your comment. Thank you.

Second, I used to blog for the Record-Eagle (and Torch Lake Views posts are occasionally reposted there) but I, too, have been frustrated by the Disqus commenting system and no longer bother trying to engage in any conversations over there. I don't know why it's hard to use. Who knows, maybe it's us, PJ! Nawwww.

P. J. Grath said...

My name appears, without any comment. This is not what I call discussion. Is it a way to invite and discourage discussion at the same time, or am I reading too much into the problem? It does sound as if I'm not the only one having trouble with the system.