Philosophical Politics

Very few people know about philosophy and do not become informed about the many great philosophers. If philosophers were rulers, would the world be a better place? "Governments will never be well run until philosophers are rulers" (Hutchinson). Plato wrote in Meno that Socrates should be in charge of Athens. This was said because Socrates was a lover of knowledge, but the people of Athens didn't think that Socrates was useful and said he was a threat to the city. This caused him to be put to death by poison. The world would be a better place if Socrates had ruled Athens, causing many other philosophers to become kings, rulers, and presidents. This will make people stop and look at the situation we are in now; compared to what the world's governments would've been like if philosophers were rulers. The thoughts of people would be much different because "good" is the highest ultimate object of all knowledge. With this being said, Plato's Republic stated why "good" is the ultimate object of knowledge and why there is no such thing as evil.

People would be better off with very studious rulers to preach and teach them the virtues of philosophical knowledge. People would not be evil; they would be virtuous causing the world to be a magnificent place instead of a dangerous one. Philosophers would rather find the answer to the problem than have conflict between one another. Ruling philosophers is what was missing in Athens when Socrates roamed the streets. The religious views ruled everything because the gods were present. Socrates thought differently. The world seems like it would be a better place if philosophers were kings, rulers, and presidents.

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It is now November 2006 and the war in Iraq is as fierce as ever, with American troops trying to help this once dictated country establish a democracy, but insurgents are attacking and supporting terrorist acts. Other countries are beginning to play war games like Iran or North Korea testing their nuclear weapon capability. What is the reason for this? People are dying and killing over political indifferences between one another. The world is only so big and if our technological weapons continue to enhance, people with corrupted minds that are in position of power can destroy everything by making many critically ignorant mistakes.

If Philosopher-kings were rulers would the world be a better place? I highly doubt that they are the best people to rule or even have some type of power because they can be led on by evil temptations like anybody else in this world. A philosophical way of life would not be the best for our rulers because they are highly corruptible through politics. The reason why the world is the way it is, derives from evilness that manifests in politics. Political indifferences within a democracy create temptation to win elections and many politicians become overwhelmed with competition that they start to deceive everyone. A philosopher-king is supposed to be this calm, rational person who studies life and reality. A 4th-century Greek philosopher known as Plato wrote "The Republic" explaining that social inequality would promote civil peace and government (Communism ch.2). Justice is the foundation of a good political order and it provides a city with a sense of unity to the political community (Korab-Karpowics ch.1). There is little evidence showing why philosophers should be the ultimate ruler. It is said, "[P]hilosophers are the best people to

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rule, but Plato not only fails to establish a necessary connection between justice and eudaimonia or happiness, but admits that duty and interests can conflict" (Hall 169). No person is perfect and no person can be all powerful; trying to be is the downfall of man.

Democracy is said to live America and was becoming Iraq's new type of government, but they are now in a civil war. Sudam Hussein was captured and many Iraqi's were relieved from this dictatorship. Not only capturing this man of hate, was supposed to be justice, but trying him and pushing for the maximum penalty; death. Sudan was sentenced to death by hanging for his crimes committed while he was in power. This is why "[I]njustices cause civil war, hatred, and fighting while justice brings friendship and a sense of common purpose" (Korab-Karpowics ch.1). A common sense of purpose to a republican government to invade countries and then have innocent lives put at risk in war for an irrational decision. In a democracy people are highly corruptible because they become so manifested in their own greed of politics, they forget about morality altogether. This corrupts the politician or philosopher to become evil through politics. For example, in the election of 2006 Bob Beauprez illegally accessed a restricted federal database for information used in a television ad against his rival, Bill Ritter (Paulson). Beauprez lost in this election because of his corruption and deception to win governor. This comes to show how a Democracy can corrupt politicians into doing things that are immoral and indecent. Beauprez was one example that did not achieve a position of power, but there are politicians that deceive and attain a powerful position within the government.

All democracies will inevitably become corrupt and have damaging effects from

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the evil that comes with political affairs. "Morality is denied and the right to govern is equated simply with might" (Korab-Karpowics ch.6). Not only do politicians become corrupted but many other problems arise in a democracy ran by these crooked officials. For example would be the war we are fighting in Iraq. The president said Sudam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and that gave him reason to invade his dictated country; then tried to establish a government similar to America's failed. This mistake caused the world to become more debauched than what is was. Other conflicts began to come to light in the world besides the war in Iraq.

Once somebody has gained power, overseeing a country or supervising a job, they feel a sense of control. Not all, but many people create an uncontrolling greed to abuse their power to the fullest extent. A philosopher with power is highly corruptible by means of insatiable behaviors. For example some people say the election of 2004 was rigged by the George Bush's brother, Jeb Bush the governor of Florida which was the only state to recount votes. This is an example of corruption in points that are brought up, democracy and position of power. Another example is when President Clinton had a sexually explicit affair while in house. Clinton