Plato BTFO. Really, why do we still bother with the greeks?

Ok

>>9166343
Popper more like Pooper

>Socrates had stressed that he was not wise; that he was not in possession of truth, but that he was a searcher, an inquirer, a lover of truth.

>How did Plato convert this doctrine? ... The change made by Plato is indeed tremendous. His lover is no longer the modest seeker, he is the proud possessor of truth. A trained dialectician, he is capable of intellectual intuition, i.e. of seeing, and of communicating with, the eternal, the heavenly Forms or Ideas. Place high above all ordinary men, he is 'god-like, if not . . . divine', both in his wisdom and in his power. ... He is the Philosopher-King. ...

>>9166353
>It is hard, I think, to conceive a greater contrast than that between the Socratic and the Platonic ideal of a philosopher. It is the contrast between two worlds—the world of a modest, rational individualist and that of a totalitarian demi-god.

>>9166393
He's probably one of those idiots that thinks Timaeus represents Plato's actual views.

>>9166343
Should I read it ?

You don't need some academic taking down Plato. He's so weak any schmuck can do it.

Let me explain why I'd recommend this book to everyone: Plato is stupid.

Seriously.

And it's important that you all understand that Western society is based on the fallacy-ridden ramblings of an idiot. Read this, understand that he is not joking, and understand that Plato is well and truly fucked in the head.

Every single one of his works goes like this:

SOCRATES: "Hello, I will now prove this theory!"
STRAWMAN: "Surely you are wrong!"
SOCRATES: "Nonsense. Listen, Strawman: can we agree to the following wildly presumptive statement that is at the core of my argument?" {Insert wildly presumptive statement here— this time, it's "There is such a thing as Perfect Justice" and "There is such a thing as Perfect Beauty", among others.}
STRAWMAN: "Yes, of course, that is obvious."
SOCRATES: "Good! Now that we have conveniently skipped over all of the logically-necessary debate, because my off-the-wall crazy ideas surely wouldn't stand up to any real scrutiny, let me tell you an intolerably long hypothetical story."
{Insert intolerably long hypothetical story.}
STRAWMAN: "My God, Socrates! You have completely won me over! That is brilliant! Your woefully simplistic theories should become the basis for future Western civilization! That would be great!"
SOCRATES: "Ha ha! My simple rhetorical device has duped them all! I will now go celebrate by drinking hemlock and scoring a cameo in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure!"

The moral of the story is: Plato is stupid.

>>9166498
Except he isn't.
He's talking about The Republic

>>9166556 Yes.

>>9166557
That has no bearing on the point I just made.

If you think Republic is actually just a treatise on governance, you're mistaken. With Critias and Hermocrates uncompleted, we cannot unlock the deeper meaning and purpose of Republic.

>>9166556
>Plato is stupid
*rolls me eyes*

>>9166621
I guess Plato was just kidding, and I guess so were all the people inspired in his jk ideas

>>9166634
Just let it be known that Plato doesn't care to comment on day-to-day affairs. They're just useful tools for exploring beyond our sense perception.