Poet and philosopher kings and queens to guide us

by Bob Schwartz

The School of Athens by Raphael

Plato suggested we might be best ruled by philosopher kings.

Besides adding queens, I add poets.

Politicians, scientists, all kinds of smart or not so smart people think they are the ones to lead us through our challenging times. Poets and philosophers are mostly marginalized and ignored, because they are thought to be out of touch with hard realities and useless when it comes to critical matters.

Note that it is sometimes the politicians, scientists and smart people who have created and worsened those challenging times. Poets and philosophers offer unique perspectives on those challenges and realities.

As I’ve said before, we need more poets and philosophers in our field of vision and our public lives. Ask for them to be there. And if you are one of them, be there.

© 2024 by Bob Schwartz