The dominant system of power in the west has been Platonist - a system which functions on highly developed levels of structure and law. This is the school of pure rationality and fear of the undefined - fear of doubt. The minority system has been Socratic or humanist. It is interested in doubt and not overwhelmed by the Platonist-Hobbesian desperate need to tie things down.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Western power structures lean on strict rationality and fear of uncertainty, while minority systems embrace doubt and humanism.
- In plain terms
- Dominant systems fear doubt, but some prefer questioning and human values over rigid laws.
- What can you take from it?
- Question systems that fear uncertainty and doubt.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do fear of doubt shapes political systems?
- When is rigidity useful versus harmful?
Another view
Structure and law are also necessary for order.
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