Plato At The Googleplex

    Assume that the argument is over one man’s guilt or innocence. Now turn things up a bit, and argue as to whether or not he was in his right mind. A problem with his prefrontal lobes, perhaps, or a tumor in his hypothalamus? Plato, living in the days before x-rays, would’ve known nothing about these things. But with or without any knowledge of neuroscience, the argument is still the same. That’s why Plato never ceases in relevance.

    Plato’s works were often in dialogue form, portraying arguments over philosophical issues. In one chapter of this book, two Google employees discuss slavery, which was widely practiced in Plato’s time. One of the employees argued for it, saying that if he could get away with it, he would. Plato did not object to slavery, and incidentally, neither does the Bible, which allows for slavery as punishment for debt. It also states that an Israelite slave must be treated better than a Canaanite.

    Now look at ancient Greece in terms of war. Athens wanted to conquer, often for economic reasons. Warlike Sparta, on the other hand, would not allow their army to venture far from home; it was to be used strictly for defense. Every citizen of Sparta had to be a full time combatant, leaving crafts, business, farming, and labor to the non-citizen classes. Without an active economy there was no need for an expeditionary army. The Greek wars, huge building projects, and the Acropolis were all Athens’ idea.

    Did Athens follow Plato’s advice? It looks like as soon as they ignored it, they started expanding and ran into trouble.