Posted by John Silver on March 06, 19102 at 08:58:39:

In Reply to: Plato's burning of Democritus's writings posted by Edmund J. Smith on May 25, 1999 at 03:12:39:

: Carl Sagan and Issac Asimov both mentioned in their writings that Plato resented Democritus and his work and in fact had all his writings destroyed. Sagan eloquently wondered what the world had lost since Democritus seemed to have gotten most things and Plato had them wrong - at least as far as the way nature works. Is this true? I would very much like to know if there is evidence that clears Plato of this accusation.

I don't know how anyone can be declared a victor or a loser when we are still defining what "nature" is. While we have made great strides in explaining our corporeal self within the physical structure of the world around us, we have yet to explain our self awareness IN that world, our "role" is there is one, and the relationship of that awareness to the other. In general, given the treachery/strategy in Plato's writings, I'm very cautious before I conclude he is wrong about anything.

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