Aristophanes' Clouds

So, Clouds. It turns out that Aristophanes' play is the most lewd and vulgar play I have ever read - potty humor, penis/fart/poop jokes left and right. It is hilarious, but what is astounding is how much there is beneath the crudities and masturbation humors.

Mostly I took away from Clouds was a picture of Justice as caricatured by the play's Socrates. In the argument, Injust Speech defeats Just Speech by means of numbers. That's right, numbers. Not only does this contradict Socrates' actual teaching, but it indirectly states that Justice is impossible in a materialist society. I jumped too quick there, let me explain.

Because the former defeats the latter by numbers, in what context could that be true? Not in Socrates' world, certainly. Not in ours either. (not yet, at least - we're very close) I may be wrong here, but in what context could Injustice defeat Justice by numbers? Materialism, that's what. If there is another system that allows for this, I would be glad to hear it.

But if Justice is whatever we think it is, the logical conclusion is that is good to cheat, swindle, and deceive your fellow man in society as long as you can get away from it. A materialist society would still value comfort and everything 21st Century society offers, but to enforce that without a concept of Justice or Virtue (both of these are renamed "pragmatism"), all it can do is use the truncheon, the mace, the blackjack. We end up in Stalinist Russia. Without Justice and Virtue, we wind up in a police state if we try and control people to act the way they would in a virtuous and just state. I find that to be a horrifying idea and it makes me cling to Justice and Virtue all the higher.

This is a very badly written post so please forgive me. I would write more, but I must get to Plato's Apology and Crito next. Toodles!