reading Plato's Republic for the first time in forever and y'all, did Plato write the first "Don't Create The Torment Nexus"?
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in reply to @silasoftrees's post:
basically everything from Book 2 onwards, anything to do with their fantastical republic. currently laughing as they work out how to make baby-brained supersoldiers
I think in this case Plato is very much in favor of creating the Torment Nexus right? So more of a "pretty please let's create the Torment Nexus" sort of deal?
it seems like there's a major point of controversy as to whether the entire thing is meant to be ironic or not. I lean towards it being intentionally ironic- he's basically roasting both Socrates and the people he's arguing with for the majority of the thing, having him repeat things like "I seem, said I, to be a ridiculous teacher, devoid of clarity", constructing very clearly contradictory arguments or asking leading questions which underline the absurdity of how things have gotten out of hand as they have walked their way into outlawing all good or interesting art or made the declaration that all doctors must be terminally ill with every possible disease from childhood onwards.
Hmm I remember taking it as an exercise to take arguments to the extreme to make them easier to contrast/manipulate/test out. But yeah I haven't read it in like a decade and I just started again so I don't remember much.
He does paint Socrates as the most annoying man in existence, which is very funny in my opinion
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