of 1987 a crestfallen Boris Johnson went to call on Anthony Kenny, the master of his college, Balliol, and a distinguished philosopher and classicist. Mr Johnson had learned that he had been summoned for a “viva”—he was on the borderline between a first- and second-class degree—and wanted some extra coaching.
Mr Johnson’s failure to get a first continues to annoy him intensely—and to delight many of his rivals. But in truth it doesn’t matter a jot: the world is full of failures who got firsts, and successes who missed out. The really interesting question is not whether Mr Johnson’s results reveal some great intellectual weakness. It is what light the subject of his studies can throw on his qualifications to be prime minister.
By contrast, Plato argued, the surest signs of a bad leader are narcissism and self-indulgence. The poor statesman is an eloquent flatterer, who relies on his ability to entertain the masses with speeches and comic turns, but doesn’t bother to develop a coherent view of the world.
“The Republic” is haunted by the fear that democracies eventually degenerate into tyrannies. Democracy is the most alluring form of government: “the diversity of its characters, like the different colours in a patterned dress, make it look very attractive.” But it is inherently unstable. Citizens are so consumed by pleasure-seeking that they beggar the economy; so hostile to authority that they ignore the advice of experts; and so committed to liberty that they lose any common purpose.
As democracies collapse under the pressure of their contradictions, panicked citizens look for salvation in a demagogue. These are men who love power, but cannot control their own desires for “holidays and dinners and parties and girlfriends and so on”. Plato calls them the “most wretched of men because of the disorder raging within them”. Citizens are so consumed by fear that they think these wretches have magical abilities to solve the country’s problems and restore proper order.
And yet Obama was a complete failure
This could be said about Trump.
Creo que le aplica a muchos otros!!!
Mincemeat, I think you’ll find is the answer to your question.
Developing a coherent worldview is a challenge.
It appears the UK no longer needs statesmen or a new Prime Minister & is in search of a Chief Joke. In that regard, there is no better candidate than BorisJohnson. But the lasting impact of this joke will be on the Tory Brexiteers. Here’s why:
Plato’s ideal state wasn’t unlike a fascist state.
OYO4U oyorooms riteshagar In Mumbai More than 100 Budget Hotels have given a termination Letter to oyorooms coz of a huge payments held up since 3 to 6 months .The Hoteliers of Mumbai has been cheated, it makes 2000 people jobless 5000 Family in trouble!!!!
Boris Johnson will be a great leader! Prepare to Eat you poorly selected words!
Rodrigo Duterte
No wonder our POTUS likes him!
I doubt many people have read Plato if they had they would recognise all the signs way before Trump
also he thought democracy was a ridiculous concept and would morph into poor leadership don't forget to not cherry pick Plato he's right by the way!
Hmm who could that be. 🤔
mihirbose D. T’s B.J.
Boris is a bad leader. You don’t need to have read Plato to know that Boris is certainly no enlightened philosopher king. Boris is just a very bad boy.
morgfair ...we’ve got that in spades
Cc jokowi
He would roll both Boris and Donald onto the same deplorable category and bind them up in a rug and give them a hearty push into the Sea.
He also endorsed slavery and lived in the society that basically defined elitism.
can be said about Macron
Has anyone shown this insightful article to BoJo — hastobehunt Jeremy_Hunt RoryStewartUK michaelgove AmberRuddHR margot_james_mp Anna_Soubry say no to narcissistic, vote for the other. Communities are better under positive direction
Most AFRICAN leaders
Literally every leader in the world right now?
Plato also thought that the voting should be left to the philosophers... theeconomistiscorrupt
Don't need Plato's help. We've got this.
Yes , We can notice that in past history and present
Living the nightmare in the USA.
Plato would be astounded by the range of intellect and wisdom, both practical and philosophical on offer by modern politicians. “We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.” Plato.
So much for Plato's idealized notion of 'the benevolent dictator.'
*laughs in american*
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