Plato’s best (and worst) ideas - Wisecrack

00:04:49
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLesc5lITvo

Sintesi

TLDRThe video highlights the enduring influence of Plato on Western philosophy while exploring both his successful and flawed ideas. Plato, credited with foundational contributions to philosophy and political theory, believed in a perfect world of unchanging Forms, which serve as ideals guiding the imperfect reality we experience. He advocated for philosopher-kings, arguing that only those who have mastered the craft of understanding the Forms are fit to lead. Despite being far ahead of his time in advocating for gender equality among rulers, Plato held some incorrect beliefs such as considering a woman's womb as a mobile live animal. His notion of a 'noble lie,' intended to structure society into producers, military, and rulers, has been seen as a precursor to modern propaganda techniques. While some ideas have been dismissed, his overall philosophy has provided a foundation for future generations to build upon and refine.

Punti di forza

  • 👨‍🏫 Plato is a foundational figure in Western philosophy.
  • 🌍 He proposed the concept of a perfect world of Forms.
  • 🏛️ Advocated for philosopher-kings as rulers.
  • 👩 Supported women ruling but held inconsistent views.
  • 🏺 Coined flawed concept like 'featherless bipeds' for humans.
  • 🛡️ Suggested society's division based on a 'noble lie.'
  • 🧐 Emphasized reason over senses to understand truth.
  • 🔄 Plato's ideas have been refined over generations.
  • 🔮 Noble lie seen as a precursor to modern propaganda.
  • 🔎 Offered both monumental insights and notable misjudgments.

Linea temporale

  • 00:00:00 - 00:04:49

    Plato is heralded as a foundational figure in Western philosophy, credited with shaping many modern thinkers. He established the first Western university and taught notable figures like Aristotle. However, Plato's ideas were a mix of revolutionary and flawed concepts. Among his seminal ideas, Plato posited the existence of a transcendent world of perfect 'Forms' that are essentially ideal versions of our imperfect world. He argued that understanding these Forms was crucial for navigating reality, emphasizing that reason, rather than sensory experience, leads to truth. This detachment from sensory perception to contemplate higher truths has become a persistent philosophical challenge. Nevertheless, not all of Plato's propositions were robust; his classification of humans as 'featherless bipeds' was famously mocked by Diogenes, illustrating potential pitfalls of purely rational definitions.

Mappa mentale

Video Domande e Risposte

  • What is the main theme discussed in the video?

    The video discusses Plato's influential philosophical ideas and critiques some less effective thoughts.

  • How did Plato view the world of Forms?

    Plato believed in a perfect world of unchanging Forms, which are ideal versions of things that guide our imperfect reality.

  • What was Plato's view on rulers?

    Plato thought rulers should be philosophers who mastered the craft of contemplating the Forms.

  • Did Plato consider women capable of ruling?

    Yes, in his ideal city, Plato considered women equally capable of ruling but had inconsistent views on women in other contexts.

  • What strange notion did Plato have about women's bodies?

    Plato mistakenly believed that a woman's womb was a live animal that could move around her body causing illness.

  • What was Plato's ‘noble lie’?

    The noble lie was the idea that people are born with gold, silver, or a mixture of brass and iron in their souls, which determined their societal roles.

  • How has Plato's concept of the noble lie been interpreted in modern times?

    It has been seen as a prototype for 20th-century propaganda techniques.

  • What did Diogenes challenge in Plato's philosophy?

    Diogenes challenged Plato's definition of humans as 'featherless bipeds' by presenting a plucked chicken.

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Scorrimento automatico:
  • 00:00:07
    Few individuals have influenced the world and many of today's thinkers like Plato.
  • 00:00:13
    One 20th century philosopher even went so far
  • 00:00:15
    as to describe all of Western philosophy as a series of footnotes to Plato.
  • 00:00:22
    He created the first Western university
  • 00:00:24
    and was teacher to Ancient Greece's greatest minds,
  • 00:00:27
    including Aristotle.
  • 00:00:29
    But even one of the founders of philosophy wasn't perfect.
  • 00:00:32
    Along with his great ideas,
  • 00:00:34
    Plato had a few that haven't exactly stood the test of time.
  • 00:00:38
    So here are brief rundowns of a few of his best and worst ideas.
  • 00:00:44
    Plato argued that beyond our imperfect world
  • 00:00:47
    was a perfect unchanging world of Forms.
  • 00:00:52
    Forms are the ideal versions of the things and concepts we see around us.
  • 00:00:57
    They serve as a sort of instruction manual to our own world.
  • 00:01:01
    Floating around the world of Forms is the ideal tree,
  • 00:01:05
    and the ideal YouTube channel,
  • 00:01:07
    and even the ideal justice,
  • 00:01:09
    or ideal love.
  • 00:01:11
    Our own reality is comprised of imperfect copies of ideal Forms.
  • 00:01:17
    Plato argued that philosophers should strive to contemplate
  • 00:01:20
    and understand these perfect Forms
  • 00:01:23
    so that they may better navigate our misleading reality.
  • 00:01:28
    While it may seem silly,
  • 00:01:29
    the disconnect between the world as it appears
  • 00:01:32
    and the greater truth behind it
  • 00:01:34
    is one of philosophy's most vexing problems.
  • 00:01:37
    It's been the subject of thousands of pages by theologians,
  • 00:01:40
    philosophers,
  • 00:01:41
    and screenwriters alike.
  • 00:01:44
    It raises questions like should we trust our senses to come to the truth
  • 00:01:48
    or our own reason?
  • 00:01:50
    For Plato, the answer is reason.
  • 00:01:52
    It alone provides us with at least the potential to contemplate the Forms.
  • 00:01:57
    But reason didn't always pan out for Plato himself.
  • 00:02:01
    When he sought to situate humankind amongst the animals,
  • 00:02:04
    he lumped us in with birds.
  • 00:02:07
    "Featherless bipeds" was his official designation.
  • 00:02:11
    Diogenes the Cynic, annoyed by this definition,
  • 00:02:14
    stormed into Plato's class with a plucked chicken,
  • 00:02:17
    announcing, "Behold. Plato's man."
  • 00:02:22
    But back to a few good ideas.
  • 00:02:24
    Plato is one of the earliest political theorists on record,
  • 00:02:27
    and with Aristotle, is seen as one of the founders of political science.
  • 00:02:32
    He reasoned that being a ruler was no different than any other craft,
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    whether a potter or doctor,
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    and that only those who had mastered the craft were fit to lead.
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    Ruling was the craft of contemplating the Forms.
  • 00:02:46
    In his Republic, Plato imagined a utopia where justice is the ultimate goal.
  • 00:02:52
    Plato's ideal city seeks a harmonious balance between its individual parts
  • 00:02:57
    and should be lead by a philosopher king.
  • 00:02:59
    Millennia before his time,
  • 00:03:01
    Plato also reasoned that women were equally able to rule in this model city.
  • 00:03:07
    Unfortunately, Plato was inconsistent with women,
  • 00:03:11
    elsewhere likening them to children.
  • 00:03:13
    He also believed that a woman's womb was a live animal
  • 00:03:16
    that could wander around in her body and cause illness.
  • 00:03:21
    This bad idea, also espoused by other contemporaries of Plato,
  • 00:03:25
    was sadly influential for hundreds of years in European medicine.
  • 00:03:29
    Furthermore, he thought that society should be divided into three groups:
  • 00:03:34
    producers,
  • 00:03:35
    the military,
  • 00:03:36
    and the rulers,
  • 00:03:37
    and that a great noble lie should convince everyone to follow this structure.
  • 00:03:42
    The noble lie he proposed
  • 00:03:44
    was that we're all born with gold, silver, or a mixture of brass and iron
  • 00:03:50
    in our souls,
  • 00:03:51
    which determine our roles in life.
  • 00:03:54
    Some thinkers have gone on to credit the idea of the noble lie
  • 00:03:58
    as a prototype for 20th century propaganda,
  • 00:04:01
    and the philosopher king as inspiration for the dictators that used them.
  • 00:04:06
    Should a few bad ideas
  • 00:04:07
    tarnish Plato's status as one of the greatest philosophers in history?
  • 00:04:11
    No!
  • 00:04:12
    Plato gave the leaders and thinkers who came after him a place to start.
  • 00:04:17
    Through the centuries,
  • 00:04:18
    we've had the chance to test those ideas through writing and experience,
  • 00:04:22
    and have accepted some while rejecting others.
  • 00:04:25
    We are continuing to refine, amend, and edit his ideas
  • 00:04:29
    which have become foundations of the modern world.
Tag
  • Plato
  • philosophy
  • Forms
  • political theory
  • noble lie
  • gender equality
  • Western philosophy
  • philosopher king
  • rationality
  • Diogenes