Opinions.

I can't really pick a side on which side I am on. At some point, I want to agree on Plato's idea of the Philosopher Kings. Leaders should always be thinking about the community, kung ano ang makakabuti sa lahat. Hindi para sa kanyang sariling interes. Kasi sa totoo lang, kung wala silang iniisip kung hindi ang komunidad na pinaglilingkuran nila, may mangyayaring pagbabago. Kasi sa totoo, kung merong pamilya at interes na magkaroon ng maraming ari-arian, mas gugustuhin pa ng lider na magpayaman kaysa tulungan ang komunidad na inilaan na tulungan. Kasi sa mga nariring at nakikita natin ngayon, ang nagyayari naman ay corruption eh. Bakit ba nagpapatayan ang mga tao para lang makakuha ng pwesto sa gobyerno? Dahil sa laki ng benepisyo na nakukuha nila doing nothing. Sila yung taga pirma ng mga kung ano anong dokumento at makakakuha ng hati sa mga proyekto na kanilang inaprubahan. Kaya parang maganda yung ginustong mangyari ni Plato. Na ang Philosopher King ay para sa komunidad lamang. Pero siyempre, may isyu rin patungkol sa mga karapatan. Kung noon naging posible ang ganoon sitwasyon, siyempre ngayon hindi. Unang una, ang pagtatanggal ng karapatan magkaroon ng sariling pamilya ay pagtanggal ng karapatan mabuhay ng normal. Of course, everyone wants to have their own family excluding those who have different callings in their lives.

I have read an excerpt of Plato's republic from my Philosophy class. Plato ends The Republic on a surprising note. He defined justice and established it as the greatest good, he banishes poets from city. He pointed out that poets, appeal to the basest part of the soul by imitating unjust inclinations. And by encouraging us to indulge emotions in sympathy in characters, poetry encouraged us also to indulge emotions in life. So in sum, poetry makes us unjust.

So it is like taking away those who are more of the doer and leaving the thinker to stay. This is where I don't agree. Although philosophers, men who are wise, are what the polis need the most, doers or the "poets" are needed as much. Every one has their parts and should contribute in making a good community, a good government. And it should not be based on one leader alone, or the doers, everyone has to do their parts. The leaders should set aside personal interests and be more concerned about the community he/she is leading. It must always be a two way street. Leaders helping and community working together as one.