Tyranny from Plato to Trump: Fools, Sycophants, and Citizens
Andrew Fiala
Power grabs, partisan stand-offs, propaganda, and riots make for tantalizing fiction, but what do we do when that drama becomes a reality all around us? For a country founded as an escape from British tyranny, the United States seems to have devolved into a land where tyrants rise to power, sycophants blindly follow, and the entire nation suffers. As ancient Greek philosophers warned us, chaotic tragedy unfolds in the absence of reason, and the only cure is a return to wisdom and virtue. America’s founding fathers knew this lesson all too well and dreamed of an enlightened citizenry guided by better-than-ideological dictators. Using contemporary events to illuminate universal human weaknesses, Andrew Fiala charts the perennial history of tyrannical takeovers and the masses who support them and ultimately suffer under their rule. Ultimately, Fiala also points to a solution. Knowing the cyclical nature of tyranny, we can build safeguards against our worst inclinations and keep alive the freedoms our founding fathers envisioned for this nation.
About the author
Andrew Fiala
Andrew Fiala is professor of philosophy and Director of the Ethics Center at Fresno State. He writes a column on ethics, religion, and politics for the Fresno Bee: https://www.fresnobee.com/living/liv-…
Fiala has published books and articles on war, pacifism, political philosophy, and religion. He also writes about applied ethical issues such as euthanasia, abortion, the death penalty, and animal welfare.
Fiala loves the classroom, where he encourages students to think carefully about the tough issues of our day. He teaches courses in ethics, applied ethics, political philosophy, and the history of philosophy.
More information, including links to articles and interviews, can be found at www.andrewfiala.com.
