[struggle]

I hate to say it, but Platos Republic. So many students have focused on the illogical Plato instead of the Greek-era Renaissance man Aristotle. Plato's Republic was a nice fantasy, but it has no logical proof in the real world.

[d101302]

You're quite correct. He is the quintessential intellectual, with a utopian solution -- philosopher-kings -- to society's ills.

With respect to believing that human lives belong to intellectuals to judge and manipulate as they see fit, he's in the same class as Marx or Lenin.

IMO of course.

[Calvin Locke]

Hmmm, I thought I'd be the one to toss in Plato's book.

Primarily because he said he would ban Homer's two books.

Or maybe it was just the Iliad.

[Zon]

Ancient Greece politician Pericles is the second most quoted Greek by lawyers. Guess who the first is? Plato. What Aristotle is to Ayn Rand, Pericles is to Bill Clinton.

[dyed_in_the_wool]

I hate to say it, but Platos Republic. So many students have focused on the illogical Plato instead of the Greek-era Renaissance man Aristotle. Plato's Republic was a nice fantasy, but it has no logical proof in the real world.

Then you obviously didn't understand it. Or worse, it was not properly contextualized for you.
Check out his Epistle VII and get a better grasp of the pragmatism his political philosophy ultimately took.
The Republic is largely the proof of the existence of a soul, using the state as an example. The political views in it are untenable. The Laws is much closer to a pure Platonic political philosophy.
As for Aristotle, he DID tutor Philip of Macedon's son Alexander who became a pretty noteworthy conquerer...