What is Suitable for a Life of Philosophy

19 February 2024

What is Suitable for a Life of Philosophy

“’Now, those who have become part of these few [who follow the way of philosophy] and have tasted what a sweet and blessed thing they possess have, moreover, seen the madness of the majority of people and the fact that no one does anything salutary, so to speak, for the state’s affairs, and that there is not even an ally with whom one could go to the aid of justice and rescue it; but like a man falling among wild beasts who is neither willing to join them in their criminal activities, nor, as he is on his own, is capable of holding out against all their savagery, he would be killed before he could benefit the state or his friends in any way and would become useless to himself and the rest.  So taking all this into account, he holds his peace and attends to his own business, just as when in a dust storm or driving rain raised by the wind, someone having taken shelter under a wall, sees the rest filled to the brim with lawlessness and is delighted if he can somehow lead the rest of his life free from injustice and unsanctioned deeds and meet his end with good hope graciously and with equanimity.’

“’Well I tell you,’ he said, ‘he would end up having achieved a not inconsiderable amount.’

“’But not a very great amount either,’ I said, ‘since he has not found a state constituted in a fitting way.  For in one that is fitting he will grow more and preserve the common interests along with his own.  Well now, I think we have discussed the reasons why the subject of philosophy has received such condemnation, and unjustly at that, in sufficient detail, unless you still have something to say?’

“’Well, I don’t want to say any more on this,’ he said, ‘but which of today’s states do you say are suitable for philosophy?’

“’None whatsoever,’ I replied . . . “

(Plato, Republic, translated by Chris Emlyn-Jones and William Preddy, Loeb Classical Library, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2013, pages 49-51, 496c – 497b, ISBN: 9780674996519)

A friend of mine pointed out this passage because it relates to my post on solitude and my analysis that the Platonist way of life would, by itself, lead those who follow it to end up in a situation where they had only a few close spiritual friends, or may end up separated from the community that they live in.  This, in turn, could lead someone to solitude.

1.  “No one does anything salutary for the state’s affairs.”  This is because people who are drawn to politics overwhelmingly do so for personal gain; the interests of a wider community are, at best, a distant secondary consideration. 

2.  “He would be killed before he could benefit the state or his friends in any way.”  Or he would be seduced into serving power for power’s sake by skillful sophists/propagandists and in a surprisingly short time he will have forgotten about any such thing as a higher motive.

3.  “He holds his peace and tends to his own business.”  If he can; but it is a mark of ideological commitments that they seek out people who are minding ‘their own business’ and coerce them into joining the ideologues group.  It is not enough, from an ideological perspective, for someone to not actively oppose them; it is not enough that someone simply stand on the sidelines.  This hostility to people who try to maintain a neutral stance was targeted during the French Revolution and such targeting has been a part of   ideological programs ever since.

4.  “Which of today’s states do you say are suitable for philosophy?”  “None whatsoever.”  This was written thousands of years ago but it remains depressingly true today.

5.  To the degree possible, it is better for a philosopher to separate themselves from political, especially ideological, activity.  In some societies this will be relatively simple; in other societies the space available for such separation will be very narrow.  But, again, the possibility for such separation is something the philosopher should be attentive towards.

6.  There is a wonderful book by Bill Porter, also known as Red Pine, called Road to Heaven.  The book is about how religious hermits of various affiliations managed to keep to their hermit practice even during the cultural revolution under Chairman Mao.  These hermits had retreats in a mountainous region of China and were able to maintain their commitments and vows in a very difficult context.  It is inspiring to know that some people were able to practice their path even in such a situation.