{Classes and Societies [continued (3)]}[19th October 1988]

[Redbook6:10-11][19881019:1605c]{Classes and Societies [continued (3)]}[19th October 1988]

19881019.1605

[continued]

The classification of societies, whether organised along these lines* or in successive deviations from them, can be better fitted:

**

[Text extracted from ms diagram shown above]

		C
		→ Tyranny
		Aristocracy →	– Rule of the best
	Democracy	+	Timocracy	M~
	– subject to an irresponsible or criminal will		– Benign military state
		Oligarchy	– dominated by merchant princes

In Circle terms, the flaws in Plato’s analysis of classes are much the same as our own, ie[:]

(1) Philosophy – the pursuit of wisdom – is identified solely with reason; and

(2) The whole of the left semi-circle is wound up into the single category, Votaries of enjoyment (in practice I have an idea that poets had some place, but I can’t recall where).

*[See last previous entry]

(& see above, V? [ref unclear])

**(Combined per E[ncylopaedia] B[ritannica] XXV, 884

& Plato ‘The Republic’ tr[anslated by] D. Lee (Penguin) (Introduction)

***cf V.[[Redbook5:171][19880618:1855]{The Metaphysic of Metaphysics}[18^th June 1988],]171.

This right-handedness may seem surprising in view of the assignment of Plato’s Metaphysics to the left (G~) – but this inconsistency may help to explain why Plato’s views do seem generally inconsistent.

[continues]

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