“Plato, by the way, wanted to banish all poets from his proposed Utopia because they were liars. The truth was that Plato knew philosophers couldn't compete successfully with poets.” WayWantedPoetPhilosopherLiarsPlatoUtopia Author:Kurt Vonnegut
“While the poet entertains he continues to search for eternal truths, for the essence of being. In his own fashion he tries to solve the riddle of time and change, to find an answer to suffering, to reveal love in the very abyss of cruelty and injustice. Strange as these words may sound I often play with the idea that when all the social theories collapse and wars and revolutions leave humanity in utter gloom, the poet--whom Plato banned from his Republic--may rise up to save us all.” TryingMayIdeasWarPlaySufferingHumanitySocialSoundAnswersFashionStrangePoetTheoryRevolutionEternalEssenceInjusticeSolveCrueltyRepublicCollapsePlatoAbyssGloomRiddleBannedTime And ChangeSocial Theory Book:Aspects of I.B. Singer Source: Aspects of I.B. Singer
“Plato found fault that the poets of his time filled the world with wrong opinions of the gods, making light tales of that unspotted essence, and therefore would not have the youth depraved with such opinions.” WorldLightFoundOpinionYouthPoetEssenceFilledFaultsTalesPlatoDepraved Book:The works of the Honourable Sr. Philip Sidney, kt. in prose and verse: In three volumes. ... Source: The works of the Honourable Sr. Philip Sidney, kt. in prose and verse: In three volumes. ...
“Plato said that poets should be excluded from the ideal republic because they are such liars. I am a poet, and I affirm that this is true. About no subject are poets tempted to lie so much as about their own lives; I know one of them who has floated at least five versions of his autobiography, none of them true. I of course - being also a novelist - am a much more truthful person than that. But since poets lie, how can you believe me?” KnowsShouldBelievePersonsSaidLyingCoursesFiveSubjectsPoetIdealsVersionsNovelistsLiarsRepublicTruthfulBelieve In MeAutobiographyPlatoTemptedExcluded Author:Margaret Atwood
“In Plato's republic, poets were considered subversive, a danger to the republic. I kind of relish that role. So I see my present role as a gadfly, to use my soapbox to promote my various ideas and obsesions.” KindIdeasUseRolesDangerPoetVariousRepublicPlatoRelishSubversivePlato SSoapboxGadfliesPlato's Republic Author:Lawrence Ferlinghetti
“In general, I distrust philosophy. Plato recommended chasing poets from the city; the 'great' Heidegger was a Nazi; Lukacs was a communist; and J. P. Sartre wrote: 'Any anti-communist is a dog.'” PhilosophyCitiesDogPoetCommunistNaziPlatoDistrustChasingHeideggerAnti Communist Author:Claude Simon