RE: "For The People" (poem) >>> The Law, For It Whom?

[nicktravers]

Thank you for your poem, it raised several issues of the fickle nature of our relationship with the 'Law'.

Everyone harks back to Athenian democracy, but I doubt it would be popular today. What it meant in practice, was that every eligible male in Athens could vote, once a year, for one citizen (usually a civic leader or general), to be 'demarcated' - expelled from the city without trial.

I can't see people today going for 'demarcation' - on the other hand...

Comments

[quillfire]

@nicktravers,

Nice to meet a fellow historian!

Athenian democracy could be pretty rowdy. And, they seemed to have a lot of time on their hands to argue politics ... a circumstance facilitated by their own substantial population of slaves. Plato was not in favor of democracy (at least the kind he was witnessing). I had not heard 'demarcated' used in that context (the processed of getting tossed out of the city is usually called, Ostracism) but I'll take your word for it.

Fun Fact: Plato was also for banishing poets!

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/articles/69373/from-the-republic

The other dangers of poets are that they corrupt youth and incite the passions instead of the faculties of reason. The poet, “with his words and phrases,” is able to convince listeners that he knows what he speaks of: “such is the sweet influence which melody and rhythm by nature have.” Poetry, including the narratives of others’ lives, appeals to the emotions; it “feeds and waters the passions instead of drying them up; she lets them rule, although they ought to be controlled, if mankind are ever to increase in happiness and virtue.” In Book X, Plato concludes that poetry must be banished from the hypothetical, ideal society; however, if poetry makes “a defense for herself in lyrical or some other meter,” she may be allowed to return from exile.

[@prydefoltz ... did you get that? Pryde ... I think Plato was pooping on free verse!!! He seems to be OK with lyrical poetry, though. :-) :-) :-)]

Nick, all this talk about Athens has inspired my choice of posts for later today.

[nicktravers]

Ha, ha, sounds like 'free verse' was the 'rock & roll' of Athenian society. Dangerous things, words.

[quillfire]

@nicktravers,

Plato was a "thought-experiment" kinda guy, rather concerned about what the definition of "is," is. I'm more partial towards Aristotle, "empiricism"... if your observations don't fit your theory, change your theory.

@prydefoltz, she appears more into Socrates. Indeed, she seems to have something of a crush, and is willing to overlook the whole not bathing thing. :-)

Dangerous things, words.

Indeed, my friend. My provoking Pryde, for example, is akin to poking a bear. She is a very good writer and she gives as good as she gets.

Oh, the things we do in the name of sport. :-)

Dystopian steampunk, huh? To be honest, I'm not even sure what that is. I'll have to look into it. I've always wanted to take a crack at a novel. Two things are stopping me: I've got about a dozen different ideas and can't choose between them; and, time.

Some day. Some day.

Thanks by the way for the Resteeem of Behind Great Minds. That wasn't part of the Contest. I have an idea about how to fuse Steemit with my advertising business and so I'm "Keeping My Channel Clean" for those prospective future eyeballs (not Resteeming with the exception of Cryptogee's Contest). So, don't be offended by my not reciprocating your kind gesture ... Fortune 500's are a demanding lot.

That said, I don't forget those to whom I am indebted.

BTW: I'm not sure if it was an oversight, but to qualify for @cryptogee's Contest, you have to Resteem THIS post (I'll go check the rules to see if he's modified them, but as of this writing, I don't think he has).