Philosophy
TheWife decided to show Planet of the Apes to the short people. A hokey retelling of the Galileo story for the most part, the most interesting line is at the end.
Dr. Zaius -- an incredibly powerful orangutan in the society's religious hierarchy -- is well aware that intelligent humans had roamed the planet in the past, something that he is charging two chimp scientists with heresy for daring to say in public. When the nephew of one of these scientists witnesses the hypocrisy and stifling of science, he asks him "What about the future?" To which Dr. Zaius responds "I may have just saved it for you." Dr. Zaius knew, but the nephew did not, that humans had destroyed themselves and most life on earth in a nuclear war and that allowing them to evolve and co-mingle with the intelligent chimps, orangutans, and gorillas who now populate the planet could lead to their destruction as well given the human track record. He clearly believed that he was acting in the society's best interest.
And so he lied. What was Galileo is now Plato. We have the myth of the metals from the Republic, an argument that says that the people in power need to tell certain lies to the population because the truth will lead to a disruption of the preconditions for human flourishing.
Is this true? Are there some cases in which the authorities are justified in misleading the public? If so, does this make democracy impossible, a well-informed electorate seeming to be a necessary condition for democracy? If not, what if the truth undermines the stability that is also necessary for a functional democracy?
- Hanno On The Virtues And Vices Of Democracy
A few posts back there was an interesting discussion about the utilitarian concerns about Democracy that go all the way back to Plato -- if you leave the power to make decisions in the hands of the people, how do you know they won't completely screw...
- The Jedi Knights Of Plato's Republic
"In the name of the Galactic Senate of the Republic, you are under arrest, Chancellor""Are you threatening me, Master Jedi""The Senate will decide your fate.""I am the Senate!""Not yet.""It's treason, then." In the final move against democracy...
- The Realization Of The Galaxy
Nick LaClair Book Seven of The Republic of Plato clearly illustrates the classic metaphor of someone being blinded from reality, and then revealed to a unfamiliar new world. We see this as the subjects have lived in the cave their entire life, completely...
- Galileo's Discovery Of Neptune
Wikipedia: Galileo's drawings show that he first observed Neptune on December 28, 1612, and again on January 27, 1613. On both occasions, Galileo mistook Neptune for a fixed star when it appeared very close—in conjunction—to Jupiter in the night...
- Galileo's Unilateral Myopia/creeping Angle Closure Glaucoma
"One of the "errors" that Galileo made...is that he believed Saturn was not perfectly round but may have had an irregular, inflated side." So postulates Paolo Galluzzi the director of the Museum of History and Science in Florence. He and Peter Watson...
Philosophy
You maniacs! You blew it up! Damn you! God damn you all to hell!
TheWife decided to show Planet of the Apes to the short people. A hokey retelling of the Galileo story for the most part, the most interesting line is at the end.
Dr. Zaius -- an incredibly powerful orangutan in the society's religious hierarchy -- is well aware that intelligent humans had roamed the planet in the past, something that he is charging two chimp scientists with heresy for daring to say in public. When the nephew of one of these scientists witnesses the hypocrisy and stifling of science, he asks him "What about the future?" To which Dr. Zaius responds "I may have just saved it for you." Dr. Zaius knew, but the nephew did not, that humans had destroyed themselves and most life on earth in a nuclear war and that allowing them to evolve and co-mingle with the intelligent chimps, orangutans, and gorillas who now populate the planet could lead to their destruction as well given the human track record. He clearly believed that he was acting in the society's best interest.
And so he lied. What was Galileo is now Plato. We have the myth of the metals from the Republic, an argument that says that the people in power need to tell certain lies to the population because the truth will lead to a disruption of the preconditions for human flourishing.
Is this true? Are there some cases in which the authorities are justified in misleading the public? If so, does this make democracy impossible, a well-informed electorate seeming to be a necessary condition for democracy? If not, what if the truth undermines the stability that is also necessary for a functional democracy?
- Hanno On The Virtues And Vices Of Democracy
A few posts back there was an interesting discussion about the utilitarian concerns about Democracy that go all the way back to Plato -- if you leave the power to make decisions in the hands of the people, how do you know they won't completely screw...
- The Jedi Knights Of Plato's Republic
"In the name of the Galactic Senate of the Republic, you are under arrest, Chancellor""Are you threatening me, Master Jedi""The Senate will decide your fate.""I am the Senate!""Not yet.""It's treason, then." In the final move against democracy...
- The Realization Of The Galaxy
Nick LaClair Book Seven of The Republic of Plato clearly illustrates the classic metaphor of someone being blinded from reality, and then revealed to a unfamiliar new world. We see this as the subjects have lived in the cave their entire life, completely...
- Galileo's Discovery Of Neptune
Wikipedia: Galileo's drawings show that he first observed Neptune on December 28, 1612, and again on January 27, 1613. On both occasions, Galileo mistook Neptune for a fixed star when it appeared very close—in conjunction—to Jupiter in the night...
- Galileo's Unilateral Myopia/creeping Angle Closure Glaucoma
"One of the "errors" that Galileo made...is that he believed Saturn was not perfectly round but may have had an irregular, inflated side." So postulates Paolo Galluzzi the director of the Museum of History and Science in Florence. He and Peter Watson...