I honestly didn’t think it was possible to be so benighted. Granted the know nothings who run some of the colleges and universities in states like Texas, or in certain other states that pride themselves on their ignorance of Western culture as they claim to support it, I have to admit Texas Tech takes the cake. It has banned Plato’s Republic.
Now, even we who may consider ourselves more Aristotelian have to choke on this one. Of course, Plato may not have much to say about a college that has a course on Golf (I kid you not), but to people like Peter Thiel, a mentor to J.D. Vance, Plato offered a better way to rule society than democracy. But Texas didn’t need Plato to teach that.
Banning books and ideas we may not agree with or don’t like smacks of Putin’s Russia or Xi’s China. One would think that if we really believe we have the best ideas, then we shouldn’t be afraid to face any opposition in the marketplace of ideas.
Prayer for the Day
Holy Power of our lives, we search for understanding,
For often we know not where to turn or what to believe;
You have given us the ability to think, discern, and act
So we can make important decisions for our lives.
Teach us to call those in power to account for their actions
So we are not limited to the whims of ignorant censors..
In the name of the One who called all to account,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen
Thoughts for the Day
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, Greek philosopher (428-348 BCE)
We rarely give ourselves time to think carefully and logically about our lives and how to lead them. Sometimes we just go along with what the Greeks called Doxa, or common sense. In the thirty-six books he wrote, Plato showed this common sense to be riddled with errors, prejudice, and superstition. … The problem is that popular opinions edge us toward the wrong values. … Plato’s answer is know yourself. (This) means doing a special kind of therapy: Philosophy. This means subjecting your ideas to examination rather than acting on impulse.
From Four Reasons Why Plato Matters
O simple ones, learn prudence;
Acquire intelligence, you who lack it
Proverbs 8:5