More than two thousand years ago, Plato studied from Socrates and believed in beauty, good and justice. But the crumbling Greek society disillusioned his idea of democracy. He replaced this ideal with the 'state', a living nation that rewarded hardworking citizens whose collective goal was to enhance its stateliness
beautiful architecture beautiful people beautiful minds
Plato lost faith
In ideals and sought -
to restore order
to restore order
The Republic was born out of the belief that the state was above all. Aristotle continued this quest, unrealistic dream for the perfect state for mankind. The beautiful minds began the search for logic and science, dimensions and proportions and transfered this logical thought process to politics. To him, only the state can ensure the good life. The alternative would be chaos - therefore the state must be preserved
Politics took shape
Under Aristotle's rigid
Classifications
It took two thousand years to destroy the innocent view of the perfect world on earth when Machiavelli arrived with his book, The Prince, he who believed that political power was above all. By now, a unified nation must be achieved at all cost. And hail to the new Italian hero Cesare Borgia (who was not even Italian) - for which a little bit of brute force and deceit did not taint his pristine reputation - to which a citizen militia was all loyal
Cruelty, lies, bigotry
All ends justified
In the name of the state
Power politics was here to stay, borne of the overiding desire to unite the most fragmented of countries. Across the borders, centuries later, Voltaire urged man to move forward and leave the era of injustice. He warned, "Anyone who has the power to make you believe absurdities has the power to make you commit injustices."
Son esprit caustique
Et plume cynique
Rejeté les reliques du moyen âge
Injustice
Under Aristotle's rigid
Classifications
It took two thousand years to destroy the innocent view of the perfect world on earth when Machiavelli arrived with his book, The Prince, he who believed that political power was above all. By now, a unified nation must be achieved at all cost. And hail to the new Italian hero Cesare Borgia (who was not even Italian) - for which a little bit of brute force and deceit did not taint his pristine reputation - to which a citizen militia was all loyal
Cruelty, lies, bigotry
All ends justified
In the name of the state
Power politics was here to stay, borne of the overiding desire to unite the most fragmented of countries. Across the borders, centuries later, Voltaire urged man to move forward and leave the era of injustice. He warned, "Anyone who has the power to make you believe absurdities has the power to make you commit injustices."
Son esprit caustique
Et plume cynique
Rejeté les reliques du moyen âge
Injustice
His caustic mind
And cynical pen recoiled
From barbaric relics
of the Middle Ages
"Man is born free, yet he is everywhere in chains," reasoned Rousseau who with stirring words, turned men's thoughts from food and sex to bloody revolutions. For Rousseau believed in the individual, his rights to his person and reminded the free - we may acquire liberty, but it is never recovered if it is once lost.
And cynical pen recoiled
From barbaric relics
of the Middle Ages
"Man is born free, yet he is everywhere in chains," reasoned Rousseau who with stirring words, turned men's thoughts from food and sex to bloody revolutions. For Rousseau believed in the individual, his rights to his person and reminded the free - we may acquire liberty, but it is never recovered if it is once lost.
To be continued...
(Tolstoy, Gandhi, Geldof)
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For my daughters
