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The Philosopher King
by Domhnall Rooney
Format: Paperback
Publication date: 18th February 2011
ISBN: 978-1-908024-28-2
Price: €11.99
This book is a development on the Platonic concept of the ‘The Philosopher King’. Here the Philosopher King comes to life as a real character and pursues the ancient goal of achieving the ‘good’ or the ‘happy’ state. The word “philosophy” comes from the Greek philo sophia, which literally means “love of wisdom”.The King in the story is married to Sofia. The King is symbolic of power while Sofia is symbolic of wisdom. It is through the union and love between power and wisdom that a King becomes a Philosopher.
The book deals with ancient ideas, yet it departs from ancient Greek philosophy in that it also grapples with contemporary philosophy and ideology. Although not explicitly mentioned, Capitalism and Communism are debated at large. Too often, politics is characterised as being ‘reactionary’ between these two ideologies, as opposed to ‘visionary’. In this book new ideas are presented on how a ‘third way’ can emerge.
Powerful people and activists regularly engage in dichotomies and ideas that can be likened to philosophical building blocks. Such dichotomies that are presented here include Government forces and Market forces, Theocracy and Secularism, Rights and Responsibilities, Atheism and Theism, Hedonism and Asceticism, Public and Private, Revelation and Reason, Uniformity and Plurality along with Independence and Interdependence. Feminism and how technology has changed gender roles and gender interaction is also discussed.
It is technology that has brought Mankind to a new fulcrum, a new philosophy and a new social evolution. Technology is what separates Man from the animal. Technology is understood to be an arrangement of physicality through creativity and reason, in order to bring extension to the will of Mankind. The question asked here is whether the will and the power behind this technology will swing towards global oppression or global liberation.
Domhnall Rooney is a graduate of Philosophy and Theology from Mater Dei Institute, Dublin, Ireland.
