These are just my meditations after reading Plato on these subjects. I don’t attribute the bulk of them to him, but he has had a significant influence on where they dwell and where I hope they are going. First, I’d like to give thanks to Dr. Charles Don Keyes for sparking my interest in Plato’s version of events. CDK is an excellent teacher and gadfly (which is a compliment in the world of philosophy). You certainly don’t want to be a reprehensible sophist…hehe. But anyway. To the topics at hand.
Growing up: From the womb, we are thrown into a world where we cannot fend for ourselves. Our most immediate formative days are a time when individuals around us assert their individuality in such a manner as to leave deep and lasting impressions. What we get from the start is what we must work with for the rest of our lives. The baby constantly grows older as adults grow older themselves. It seems as if everyone is growing older. Why can’t we grow younger? Maybe we do in some sense as our parts die off and eventually regenerate. But on the whole we seem to be growing older as time goes by. This would follow a linear conception of time. But what about a circular conception of time? All comes round again. Each time all comes round, though, there is a fundamental difference. This process is perpetual. This process would be one of infinite becoming, where one is becoming old when one is becoming youner at the same time. Older in realtion to the last moment and younger in relation to the next moment. As I have pondered before, this is a time of already have been and not quite yet. And it is infinitely circular. If that makes any sense. Clarify me if you have a better insight. So we have, already have been a child and not yet an adult. Linear time would seem to have it that there is some magic moment when things instantly change. But growing up seems really to have its fits and starts like pretty much everything else. You progress, you regress. You go is many directions at once.
Sex: Now here’s a touchy subject. I just heard on the pop music radio station the other day about how hard it is for parents to talk to their children about sex. Why is this? Sex is seems to me the ultimate form of human to human affection. All of the senses and intellect ought to be involved. And the way one goes about it might make all the difference. What sort of attitude does one bring to the table when it comes to sex? Does one hold it as just another way of gaining some personal pleasure? Indulging in hedonistic behavior? Or does one hold it as a sacred privilige meant to ultimately lead to the creation of the next generation of the human race, as well as to create more love than there is in human society…to strengthen human bonds? Let’s just leave it here. Plato, I think, had different views on the subject altogether.
Philosopher Kings: What would it be to be a Philosopher King. It would mean holding the reigns of society according reason and moderation. Creating harmony beween the strong and the weak and controlling the multiheaded monster of passing desires would be the goal. It must be exhausting to be a Philosopher King. Thats why I think that they should have limited terms and be elected in a meritocratous fashion. What is a meritocracy? A meritocracy is a society in which people are judged on the strength of their characters. Of what they can produce to the good of the society. Nobody is perfect, but there are some who hold themselves to a higher standard. These individuals deserve to be held in positions of power. They must not be given much more physical comfort or luxury than the regular citizen. After all, the Philosopher King is just as much of a citizen as everyone else. Philosopher Kings should be given a moderation of the things in life that make a life good. He should also limit his appetite for these things. Self-discipline is key.
This is all I have to say about these subjects for now.
Let’s get this party started. Let’s get the philosophical bonfire raging!
Follow my tweets at “PureBecomingNet” over on twitter. (some of them are quite mundane, i know) And I will follow yours.
Check out my channel when I’m broadcasting at Justin.tv at www.justin.tv/philosophycat84 I know that some of the time it’ll be like watching the grass grow, but just start chatting.
Face me on facebook. My name is Evan Dusheck. We’ll get highbrow discussions started.
Social networking about ideas about ideas about ideas ad infinitum is the way to go these days. I want to be thinking all the time people! Well, maybe not all the time… Let’s merge our pop culture and our tech with our meditations on all things philosophical. Let’s start a trend. We just need to gather the wood and make the firepit. Sparks will fly! Hahahaha.
Also, let me know if there are any other good social networking sites out there that we could use. I’m not a MySpace kinda guy though. Just a personal preference.
