"The souls of people, on their way to Earth-life, pass through a room full of lights; each takes a taper - often only a spark - to guide it in the dim country of this world. But some souls, by rare fortune, are detained longer - have time to grasp a handful of tapers, which they weave into a torch. These are the torch-bearers of humanity - its poets, seers and saints, who lead and lift the race out of darkness, toward the light. They are the law-givers and saviors, the light-bringers, way-showers and truth-tellers, and without them, humanity would lose its way in the dark." Source: Plato
You wouldn't think such a profound quote from Plato would take me down the path of 'what is freedom', but it did.
As with most breadcrumbs that I've found along my path, not always do I know where they will lead me.
The quote in and of itself is profound because I have always wondered about these individuals that seem to pop up out of nowhere within humanity's history with a message that diverts our path in some shape or form and moves us toward something greater or unrealized before. What I didn't know and what I wondered about was the conditions that led to these changes. "Was it actually the 'messenger' or the 'message'? Was it just 'time' to receive it as a whole in order for the message to be heard and realized within each person?" I've come to realize that you can't change other people, that either a particular truth already lives inside a person or it doesn't.
The thought of something so profound was written thousands of years ago, boggled my mind...and yet here we are STILL cycling from light to dark, dark to light.........
I actually contemplated this quote for days wanting some kind of discussion about it with others to gain added perspective:
Where are all these torch-bearers, light-bringers NOW?!!!
The world seemed hardly enlightened to me and by day drowning in its own suffering or too distracted to care. At some point, I couldn't take the suspense any longer and decided to throw it out there on facebook as if to tempt what I expected would be a fruitless pursuit.
Days passed without a single like or comment. Hmmm...Are puppy and kitten videos really the only topics people cared about? Or are people just too saturated in their lives that they are not interested or capable of having deep conversations anymore?!
Plato's quote sat largely ignored with its spark now dwindling into obscurity and silence. I watched it descend into the bowels of social media hell and wondered how he would have been received today. Would he be a penniless vagabond traveling from town to town, projecting his wise mumblings into the madness of distracted passers by? Would he be considered 'insane'?
THEN.... FINALLY, after a week had passed....a response!
"You do realize that Plato had slaves, right? He wasn't so enlightened and wise."
Having had my excitement replaced by pointless dribble, I thought, Isn't that so typical? I post something profound, invite deep dialogue and there is always that 'one' person that has to come in and piss all over it, diverting the topic. I was so disappointed but then realized that this comment was coming from a friend that seldom commented on facebook. A friend that I highly respected for his intelligence and wisdom, for his commitment to community and alternative building practices - a free thinker, visionary and 'doer'. Why would he take the time to make such a statement unless true? And if true, what does that say about Plato's words and body of work?
Down the rabbit hole we go.......
Yes, it was certainly true. Not only did Plato have slaves but he himself was a slave for a period of time.
Throughout his later life, Plato became entangled with the politics of the city of Syracuse. According to Diogenes Laertius, Plato initially visited Syracuse while it was under the rule of Dionysius.[36] During this first trip Dionysius's brother-in-law, Dion of Syracuse, became one of Plato's disciples, but the tyrant himself turned against Plato. Plato was sold into slavery and almost faced death in Cyrene, a city at war with Athens, before an admirer bought Plato's freedom and sent him home.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plato
So what exactly was a slave in Plato's time?
The most important of these is a simile in the Laws where Plato contrasts the free physician in attendance upon freemen with the slave healer of slaves. The free medical man "investigates the origin and the nature of disease; he enters into community with the patient and with the friends." He is essentially a 'teacher', but a teacher who also learns from the sick. He gives no autocratic orders, but educates the patient into health. Slaves, on the other hand, are incapable of such reasonable intercourse. The slave doctor's visit is hurried. He "neither gives a servant any rational account of his complaint, nor asks him for any; he gives an order based on empirical belief with the air of exact knowledge, in the insolent manner of a tyrant, then jumps off to the next ailing servant.....(slave) He can have true belief, but cannot know the truth of his belief. He can learn by experience (empeiria) and external prescription. But he can neither give nor follow a rational account. He is therefore susceptible to persuasion. Source:http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/2180538?uid=3739256
I was dumbfounded by the similarities to our current society defined by Plato as slavery. Slave meaning a person serving a craft or purpose (teacher, doctor, painter, muscisian, etc.). Plato himself was enslaved later in his life by a city that had been in conflict with Athens... not what we envision as 'slavery' but to work as a teacher.
It would seem that most people during this time were slaves as they worked for someone else. Is that different from today?
The distinction Plato makes is that a slave is someone that works to feed and care for his/her family....non-slaves are those that rule over them. Apparently this is an ongoing debate of what Plato meant in his "Utopia" and other references he made. We the readers can only speculate but clearly there is little difference in today's society. This particular statement, I find quite relevant regarding slaves: "He can have true belief, but cannot know the truth of his belief. He can learn by experience (empeiria) and external prescription. But he can neither give nor follow a rational account. He is therefore susceptible to persuasion." - Are we not all slaves to the system that we live in now and how many of us are privy to the inner workings of these systems and the decisions that are made?
This ultimately begs the question, "Are we free? Do we even know what that means? Have we ever been free?
Upon further evaluation of this most depressing question, I realized that historically speaking, we have made very little diversion from this truth. For the most part, it has been a replaying theme of humanity, as if a fixed story-line. One could easily come to the conclusion that we will always be doomed to repeat what appears to be part of human nature/instinct. However, I would not discount the possibility that the human condition has somehow experienced an error in its survival mechanisms (science has taught us that behavior can be inherited through genes and that DNA holds memory from past generations)...and certainly one could even introduce a lack of empathy and connection as we move further down the science and technology path.
WHAT IF....the world was handed its freedom completely? What would that world look like?
As old as our world is, it seems that it is still in its infancy. Having never ventured beyond our current cycles of light to dark, dark to light. We have yet to understand why we are here, who we are or what motivates our actions/beliefs.
Largely, who we perceive ourselves to be is anchored in our environment and generational dogmas that seem destined to polarize - who is more worthy/non-worthy; right/wrong; important/non-important. The list is long!
Is freedom even possible? Especially if we have no idea what true freedom is, let alone share the experience with others?
Maybe just maybe.....freedom is something we develop on the inside...it's personal. Otherwise, you will always have those who want to rule and those who need to be ruled over...and yet neither is free.
In other words, "WE.....are the torch-bearers of humanity - its poets, seers and saints, who lead and lift the race out of darkness, toward the light. WE.... are the law-givers and saviors, the light-bringers, way-showers and truth-tellers, and without developing our light on the inside.... humanity would lose its way in the dark."
I do believe that 'freedom' begins with 'us' individually. Learning and growing within ourselves.
Grab a taper from that inner spring of inspiration, truth and beauty and share it with your fellow human being.
Excellent entry! :)
I'm actually really behind on responding to messages and quite a few entries as well, however.. You're a new player and I want to make you feel welcome, so I wanna leave a comment right now even if there's a lot of other people in line as well.
First... This part.
I think we are to certain degrees. To other degrees we are not. Have we ever been fully 100% free? Perhaps those who live outside of society. And.. Some at the top of the pyramid. But most of the rest of us.. No.
I'm not sure anyone can answer this. But I think it depends on the psychology of the people. If people are as they are now, they will recreate something like we have now. But if people evolve to be more honorable and just and compassionate, then perhaps freedom for all would be a lot different and more positive looking.
I think we all have freedom. But is 100% true freedom possible? Depends.. If you go live out in the wild, you're pretty free right? Or do you mean collectively the whole world? That would require a dramatic shift in consciousness, but that doesn't mean it's not possible just cause it hasn't been done yet. Many things hadn't been thought possible until someone figured it out. The lack of experience with something isn't a reason to not try it, in fact.. We have evidence that statism doesn't really work. It's the biggest killer in the history of mankind probably, so.. I think it would be wise to try something new! That old system doesn't work too good for the majority.
Also.. I loved that quote by Plato. And I thought it was sort of ironic in regards to you using the Statue of Liberty at the end and the choice of the word "Torch Bearers".. In occult language that all basically means Lucifer. Lucifer = Light bringer. I don't see that as a bad thing and I'm sort of impartial to the term, though I'm curious if you are aware that that is sort of what that means? Just curious cause you seem super smart and well spoken. Super awesome entry! I especially liked the end part about grabbing a taper. :) Cheers!
wonderful story,your blog so nice.pictures are so unaccountable.
Took me a while to decide this round! There was a LOT of really good entries! Being a judge is rough sometimes! Lol.
My second pick was magicalmoonlight who did a post on finding freedom inside yourself and I almost went with that one, but you covered that and you also went into some deep history to compare how things were in the past and included a cool quote by Plato as well. I definitely think we need to find it in ourselves, though it's important to look to the past too and gain the lessons we can there. Was definitely a tough round to judge, but I'm voting for you this round. Nice work! Thanks for the great entry! And.. I think this was your first entry into the contest too? Well done!
Wow! Thank you, @apolymask. I cannot imagine how difficult it is to be a judge, especially in writing. Every single piece I've read has been thought-provoking and a valuable. Really hard to choose one when they are all great.
I also really enjoyed your feedback and being such a deep thinker yourself. The topics you have chosen are all important topics that are worthy of conversation and attention and I just want to dig into each one! You have no idea how grateful I am for you putting this contest out there for this reason and I don't think I am alone in this as I hear it all the time from other people. I think you are doing a great service giving people the opportunity to write about these topics and that discussions that come from them. It's WONDERFUL
Thank you, @apolymask
This means a lot to me and I am so grateful for all the thought and time you put into this contest. Gives it a lot of value and you have such important topics.
A great post, and a great convo between you and @apolymask. It is a difficult topic, and can take a lot of different direction. There are as many thoughts and ideas of what freedom is and I think a lot of it stems from:
We are taught what freedom is by the people who want and need slaves. We are all slaves to society in one way or another. Until people are capable of seeing the persuasion, we will always remain a slave in some respects.
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Incredibly well written @youhavewings. I have often pondered on the whereabouts of the torch-bearers, light-bringers as you have so aptly named them. I believe this stems from our current dependence on technology and innovation. Prior to the Industrial Age our world was full of deep thinkers. Specifically the Renaissance, which is most known for it's great works of art, poetry and story-telling but is also the time in history where some of the greatest achievers in the mental arts were alive.
I also believe you hit the nail on the head with your comparison of slavery to our current day situation of being slaves to our jobs. Halfway through reading this I was reminded of some prior reading I did on one of our country's (U.S.A.) former Presidents Thomas Jefferson who is still a huge controversial subject on slavery. Although he was a detractor of slavery he also maintained a large host of slaves. This prompted me to do some reading at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Jefferson_and_slavery.
Very thought provoking post. Great job!
Ha! Your comment means the world to me, @jbreheny. Writing in this format is a new for me as you know (that critical voice). Thank you!
I believe you are right. I always feel like a fish out of water when I'm in social groupings these days as everyone is so linked to their iphones....it's become an appendage to conversation. I'll say something and someone is already 'looking it up' and answering with the first link that comes up and that becomes their opinion on the topic. Email has even fallen by the way side replaced by text messages in small little bite-size pieces of incomplete sentences and emoji's. I am definitely no fan of iphones - I use mine as a camera and gps and seldom answer if someone texts or calls on it ;) I don't like the EMF issue with them either. But for the most part, I just don't like what they have done to human interaction and conversation. There isn't a day that goes by that I'm not behind someone on the cell phone texting while driving, too. Ugh No fan. I'm quite sure this is here to stay though...it gets harder and harder to maintain my stubborn stance when this is the way the rest of the world communicates.
So, amazing to read about Thomas Jefferson and the slaves. I will have to spend a considerable amount of time digging into this interesting history. My son loves history so much so maybe we will dive in together (the beauty of homeschooling). :) Thank you for the link - prompted my interest.
I find myself doing research on something that will pop into my head when I'm reading posts, like I did with Thomas Jefferson while reading your post. Turns into a whole educational affair. How long have you been home-schooling your son? Our sons last day of school is 5/18 (next Friday) and then we will be home-schooling him (road-schooling actually). We can't wait. He's so ridiculously intelligent. He learns so much watching YouTube videos and blowsboth my wife and myself away with some of the things he's learned.
You are absolutely right in the fact that phones / technology aren't going away, we just need to learn to be more considerate of others while using our technology. Especially when driving.