Explore
Gaia Soulmates
 Advertising keeps Gaia free! Interested in sponsoring us?

Clinging to the "People Don't Change" Story.

Posted on Jan 15th, 2009 by L'el : Intentional Agent L'el 
"A study suggests that when people are encouraged to believe their
behavior is predetermined-- by genes or by environment-- they may
be more likely to cheat."

This explains why so many people are so invested in the negative--
and fixed-- worldview that other people don't change.

If _other people_ don't change then surely _you_ can't, either,
right?
Access_public Access: Public What do you think? Print views (78)  
Tagged with: thoughts, change, psychology, behavior, determinism

Socratic Vegetarianism

Posted on Jan 20th, 2009 by L'el : Intentional Agent L'el
Today I learned that Socrates was in favor of vegetarianism.  In Book II of Plato's Republic, he posits the structure and customs of an ideal society.

At one point, he describes the vegetarian diet of the people to Glaucon, and states:
"...with such a diet they may be expected to live in peace and health to a good old age, and bequeath a similar diet to their children after them."

Glaucon is skeptical that people would want to life a life as simple as Socrates suggests, and pushes for the inclusion of more luxuries in the societal model, including meat-eating.

Socrates: And there will be animals of many other kinds, if people eat them?
Glaucon:  Certainly.

S: And living in this way we shall have much greater need of physicians than before?
G: Much greater.

S: And the country which was enough to support the original inhabitants will be too small now, and not enough?
G: Quite true.

S: Then a slice of our neighbours' land will be wanted by us for pasture and tillage, and they will want a slice of ours, if, like ourselves, they exceed the limit of necessity, and give themselves up to the unlimited accumulation of wealth?
G: That, Socrates, will be inevitable.

S: And so we shall go to war, Glaucon. Shall we not?
G: Most certainly.



*btw: Plato's Republic can be read online at: http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/republic.html
Access_public Access: Public What do you think? Print views (317)  
Tagged with: plato, vegetarianism, meat, war