Aristocles (427-347 BC)

     You may recognize this face from a very famous painting from inside the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City, Rome painted by Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (Raphael). The Painting is named, "The School of Athens." What you may not recognize is the name of this man, but trust me you know who he is. Aristocles is the real name of Plato, the famous Greek philosopher, and founder of the Academy of Athens. He also took his queue from Sappho and helped to lay the foundations for western philosophy and science. (Why the church allowed Raphael to paint his image inside their inner sanctum, when science had been their mortal enemy for centuries, is beyond most people...)


    The "Platonic Academy" in Athens was founded to help educate those who could cater to the general public, a.k.a. NOT the super rich. Yes, Plato helped to pave the way for general education! Thanks to this guy, we as a society don't consist of drooling inbreds and ignorant fools.

This kid's parents clearly didn't go to the Academy...

 But to be fair, they didn't have harnessed electricity back then...

    There is a very famous quote from A. N. Whitehead regarding the modern influences of Plato:

"The safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato. I do not mean the systematic scheme of thought which scholars have doubtfully extracted from his writings. I allude to the wealth of general ideas scattered through them."

     What this basically means is that all science in our world is riddled with the influences of Plato's theories and teachings. Most of the scientific things we know to be fact now were at least thought about by Plato.

     Also the thought process of questioning what is "known" as fact, called Platonic Realism, was pretty much invented by Plato. This is the reason why we are such a curious society, always questioning what we're being told by anyone that dares to consider themselves our superior (governing emperor, king, God, etc...)

Let's face it, we NEVER liked that as kids.

(also, it made a TERRIBLE movie)

     

     What most people don't know is that Plato was gay. Indeed MOST of Ancient Greece was pretty accepting of homosexuality, and even encouraged acts of homo-sex. In Plato's text, Symposium, Plato argued that every person is actually half of a whole person or soul. In his text, he said there were 3 genders in the beginning: Male, Female, and one androgynous being. All three genders split in half--the androg splitting into male and female halves--and forever seek their other halves.

 

Sound familiar?

 

    With this in mind, Plato could well have also been the first gay marriage supporter slash activist.

    Aristocles, or Plato, is this week's "Homo of the Week" because, despite all the annoying hours you spent at school as a child, you are still a hell of a lot smarter than the combined IQ of an entire village back in 426 BC.

Imagine the effort it took to be the Village Idiot back then!

    On a side note, you know that nickname Aristocles got landed with? Plato comes from the Greek word Platon which means "broad". I guess the gay men were pretty sassy back then too...

Oh, sweetie-face, we need to do something about this "broadness" problem you have. K, pumpkin?

 ::Sigh:: Asshole.

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