Popper breaks the spell of Plato
5 stars
Okay I know this one isn’t very occulty, but it’s one I was reading when I joined and I just finished it. Been wanting to read this for a long time, one of a number of books recommended by Robert Anton Wilson. Just finished vol. 1 - ‘The Spell of Plato’ and wow it’s a great one! Plato the mystic is one thing, and Plato the political totalitarian is quite another. I’m still processing the distinction that must be made between the ideas of Socrates and the ideas of Plato. I remember in college reading The Republic and not being very impressed by Plato’s political theories. Popper skewers Plato’s political arguments, but also suggests possible reasons for Plato’s aversion to democracy. The story of Plato and Socrates’ relationship to the state, to tyranny and democracy in their own tumultuous time, is more complex than I ever realized. This is a …
Okay I know this one isn’t very occulty, but it’s one I was reading when I joined and I just finished it. Been wanting to read this for a long time, one of a number of books recommended by Robert Anton Wilson. Just finished vol. 1 - ‘The Spell of Plato’ and wow it’s a great one! Plato the mystic is one thing, and Plato the political totalitarian is quite another. I’m still processing the distinction that must be made between the ideas of Socrates and the ideas of Plato. I remember in college reading The Republic and not being very impressed by Plato’s political theories. Popper skewers Plato’s political arguments, but also suggests possible reasons for Plato’s aversion to democracy. The story of Plato and Socrates’ relationship to the state, to tyranny and democracy in their own tumultuous time, is more complex than I ever realized. This is a book to reread. I need to digest it before moving on to volume 2 - ‘The High Tide of Prophecy: Hegel, Marx, and the Aftermath’.
