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?
