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News & ArtsMonday, September 21, 2009
Politics Philosopher President
Posted by Charles Mudede on Mon, Sep 21, 2009 at 8:28 AM
At last, America has a philosopher king!
Obama said that good journalism is "critical to the health of our democracy," but expressed concern toward growing tends in reporting — especially on political blogs, from which a groundswell of support for his campaign emerged during the presidential election.Recall Plato, recall what he hated most: doxa, opinion."I am concerned that if the direction of the news is all blogosphere, all opinions, with no serious fact-checking, no serious attempts to put stories in context, that what you will end up getting is people shouting at each other across the void but not a lot of mutual understanding," he said.
In her marvelous book The Promise of Politics, a book I keep by my bedside, Hannah Arendt writes:
Plato's furious denunciation of doxa, opinion, which not only runs like red through his political works but became one of the cornerstones of his concept of truth. Platonic truth, even when doxa is not mentioned, is always understood as the very opposite of opinion."Our president has sided with the philosophers in their long war against the babel of the plebeians.
1
Charles, how does it feel to work at Asshole Central HQ, home of all opinions, with NO fact-checking, No attempts to put stories in context?
3
Mix in the Sunday NYT comparison of right-wing ranters (and Olbermann on the left) with hip-hop artists, plus Krugman's assessment of the risks to the polity of ceding all the populist energy to the fearful. Then please write another post later today. Pretty please!
4
Plato was a reactionary tool of the rich. Which is why the rich kept paying in the centuries that followed to make copies of Plato. While the pre-Socratics, who questioned slavery and the oppression of women among other things, survived only in fragments. Sophistry can lead you astray but it also is the tool that allows outsiders to question the received wisdom of elite scholars, who are by necessity either beggars or servants of the wealthy.
7
#6 - so that makes any other idea of his invalid? i don't think that Charles was saying that Obama is using Plato's works as some kind of master plan.
8
Good Morning Charles,
Pres. Obama a philosopher-king?
I am beginning to believe you're an Obamaniac. I am ribbing you a bit. But, I am most certainly not one. Dubbing him a Philosopher-King makes no difference to me. Some US Presidents have a folksy manner (Truman & W) while others a more patrician (FDR & Obama) demeanor. All dispense some counsel to the people one way or another. However, never forget this, the American Republic isn't the ancient Athens city-state. And, Pres. Obama is not Marcus Aurelius, the Roman Emperor (not an Athenian) who was dubbed the original Philosopher-king. The verdict is still very much out on his Presidency.
Pres. Obama a philosopher-king?
I am beginning to believe you're an Obamaniac. I am ribbing you a bit. But, I am most certainly not one. Dubbing him a Philosopher-King makes no difference to me. Some US Presidents have a folksy manner (Truman & W) while others a more patrician (FDR & Obama) demeanor. All dispense some counsel to the people one way or another. However, never forget this, the American Republic isn't the ancient Athens city-state. And, Pres. Obama is not Marcus Aurelius, the Roman Emperor (not an Athenian) who was dubbed the original Philosopher-king. The verdict is still very much out on his Presidency.
9
Charles, I know you mean this as the greatest compliment.
A philosopher would never be king. He loves wisdom, not power too much. He would be an artist- the way Obama commands the low art of politics.
And in America we reject kings for some reason long forgotten.
A philosopher would never be king. He loves wisdom, not power too much. He would be an artist- the way Obama commands the low art of politics.
And in America we reject kings for some reason long forgotten.
10
Plato hated the written word and the idea of practical experimentation. He set western civilization back centuries.
13
No, the president has sided with thoughtful intellectuals against those who have a problem with either thoughtfulness or the intellect.
And he has most definitely taken a stand against people who think the measure of their intellect is how strongly they feel about anything.
Hope this doesn't leave you too despondent.
And he has most definitely taken a stand against people who think the measure of their intellect is how strongly they feel about anything.
Hope this doesn't leave you too despondent.
14
People, it's the "fact-checking" fallacy that is the grievous display of our President's blognorance. He doesn't understand that the progressive blogs hold fast to facts in the face of the complete disregard or devious manipulation of them from the authoritarian rightists. Nor does he seem to care. Who is this guy's online czar, and why can't she/he get in to educate Platobama about what's really going on online? Sheesh, Obama's a lot like David Brooks, but without the common touch (tongue-in-cheek comment).
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