[noname]

"sigh." People who read Plato often have polarized views on the matter. Some people who read his work are convinced that his ideas have led to the democratic republics the free world has today, while others (i.e. Karl Popper), think that his ideas have led to tyranny. Of course, the states describes in his works were probably not actually endorsed by Plato, but were merely used as ideas to get the reader to think for himself about politics. Furthermore, there are multiple states described in the republic, some of which are better than others. Democracy is shown to be happy for a time, but is place just above the state of tyranny because it has the capacity to turn into one (like the Weimar Republic turning into the Third Reich.) Also, Plato was invited to join the thirty tyrants, but refused. Here is an excerpt from his seventh letter about democracy and what the thirty tyrants did:

"And seeing, as I did, that in quite a short time they made the former government[democratic state] seem by comparison something precious as gold-for among other things they tried to send a friend of mine, the aged Socrates, whom I should scarcely scruple to describe as the most upright man of that day, with some other persons to carry off one of the citizens by force to execution, in order that, whether he wished it, or not, he might share the guilt of their conduct; but he would not obey them, risking all consequences in preference to becoming a partner in their iniquitous deeds-seeing all these things and others of the same kind on a considerable scale, I disapproved of their proceedings, and withdrew from any connection with the abuses of the time." -- Plato, the seventh letter.


P.S. Are orieds better at research, though? And aren't they meant for combat purposes more than they are for research?