Let me describe a person who has had a diverse set of experiences :
Interested in many sports at a young age, our subject cross - trained for strength and flexibility, speed and endurance (say, gymnastics, soccer, swimming, basketball). Not quite a star athlete in any one sport, our subject was considered to be solid in all of them, say in the top 10 %. Let' s suppose our subject is not lazy and gifted, but rather is genetically "normal" and has done well because of a natural motivation to be active for several hours a day.
Our subject develops the ability to speak, read, and write at a slightly younger than average age, our subject is considered to be bright but is no prodigy. Around age 6 or 7 our subject starts to seek our books on their own, and quite enjoys reading fiction (stories) and non - fiction (history, science, they want to know about the world, and also how it works).
Our subject develops the ability to speak, read, and write at a slightly younger than average age, our subject is considered to be bright but is no prodigy. Around age 6 or 7 our subject starts to seek our books on their own, and quite enjoys reading fiction (stories) and non - fiction (history, science, they want to know about the world, and also how it works).
After a childhood of naturally reading books of all kinds, our subject begins puberty and transitions from a bright, know - it - all type child, into a more self - concious teenager seeking social experiences, including dating. Our subject keeps their grades up, but doesn' t excel or place into gifted classes, doing what' s required for homework but not going beyond that, instead spending free time with (and thinking about) their friends.
During this time our subject also narrows down their interest in sports so that they can join one or two scholastic teams, say our subject concentrates on just basketball and makes the high school team. Our subject is a solid, reliable player, impressive at the high school level but not necessarily gifted enough to continue into college sports. At this age our subject is mostly interested in their sport and their friends/dates.
During this time our subject also narrows down their interest in sports so that they can join one or two scholastic teams, say our subject concentrates on just basketball and makes the high school team. Our subject is a solid, reliable player, impressive at the high school level but not necessarily gifted enough to continue into college sports. At this age our subject is mostly interested in their sport and their friends/dates.
Our subject graduates high school at a time during which their country has a great need for military service members. Being in relatively good physical condition, and not feeling academically ready for college, our subject enlists and feels an enormous sense of personal growth in terms of maturity and discipline.
At the end of this period, our subject leaves the military on good terms, feeling satisfied with their contribution and feeling ready for new experiences.
At the end of this period, our subject leaves the military on good terms, feeling satisfied with their contribution and feeling ready for new experiences.
Enrolling in a mid - level college, low tuition and savings from years past allow our subject to focus on the pursuit of learning, as opposed to following a course that leads directly to a career (our subject already had that in the military, they left because of wanting to pursue new things).
Surveying a variety of courses, our subject decides to try and study physics, to satisfy their curiosity about the world. Math was never an outstanding topic for our subject during their school days, but their curiosity about physics motivates them to approach the necessary mathematical topics with great zeal.
After great effort, a breakthrough! Our subject feels like their eyes have been opened to what truth and logic really have the potential to be. They see beauty in the theorems of mathematics, and feel wonder and amazement at how mathematics describes physical science. Of course these truths really belong to the world of abstract models, and to fully enjoy the truths our subject shifts their thinking to care more about abstractions than about the ordinary world around us.
Eventually, questions about the foundations of logic and physics lead our subject to study metaphysics in the philosophy department, asking questions that are stranger than ever : what really exists? what is space, what is time? what are the limits of certainty and knowledge?
After surveying the extent of major philosophical treatment of these questions, our subject feels a satisfaction in having pursued their deepest curiosities as far as the current state of human knowledge allows. This is an important time, our subject may not have answers to the deep questions they' ve always considered since childhood, but at last they are satisfied with having seen the best that history' s great thinkers have to offer on those subjects.
Surveying a variety of courses, our subject decides to try and study physics, to satisfy their curiosity about the world. Math was never an outstanding topic for our subject during their school days, but their curiosity about physics motivates them to approach the necessary mathematical topics with great zeal.
After great effort, a breakthrough! Our subject feels like their eyes have been opened to what truth and logic really have the potential to be. They see beauty in the theorems of mathematics, and feel wonder and amazement at how mathematics describes physical science. Of course these truths really belong to the world of abstract models, and to fully enjoy the truths our subject shifts their thinking to care more about abstractions than about the ordinary world around us.
Eventually, questions about the foundations of logic and physics lead our subject to study metaphysics in the philosophy department, asking questions that are stranger than ever : what really exists? what is space, what is time? what are the limits of certainty and knowledge?
After surveying the extent of major philosophical treatment of these questions, our subject feels a satisfaction in having pursued their deepest curiosities as far as the current state of human knowledge allows. This is an important time, our subject may not have answers to the deep questions they' ve always considered since childhood, but at last they are satisfied with having seen the best that history' s great thinkers have to offer on those subjects.
As our subject' s sense of fundamental curiosity has waned, their interest in civic duty and helping people has grown. Our subject shift' s their scientific endeavors from theoretical physics to practical subjects like chemistry, biology, and medicine. Training in math and physical modeling allows our subject to skip past years of memorization training in favor of simple descriptions of the underlying physical system, and manages to make some modest contributions to the field of medicine, say a certain improvement in a radiation based scanning technology.
At this point our subject realizes that they could make a bigger difference in helping people, not by doing research science, but rather studying topics like ethics, justice, law, and politics. Used to living in austerity during their student days, our subject does not pursue law and politics for personal gain, but rather our of civic responsibility and a desire to help people.
From this point onward, our subject becomes a lawyer, or judge, or senator, or even president. Assume also they get married, continue doing physical exercise, pursue literature, art, and music as hobbies, respect the traditions and religion of their family, and knows how to cut loose with friends, have a few beers, enjoy movies and videogames in moderation, etc.
At this point our subject realizes that they could make a bigger difference in helping people, not by doing research science, but rather studying topics like ethics, justice, law, and politics. Used to living in austerity during their student days, our subject does not pursue law and politics for personal gain, but rather our of civic responsibility and a desire to help people.
From this point onward, our subject becomes a lawyer, or judge, or senator, or even president. Assume also they get married, continue doing physical exercise, pursue literature, art, and music as hobbies, respect the traditions and religion of their family, and knows how to cut loose with friends, have a few beers, enjoy movies and videogames in moderation, etc.
Throughout their life our subject is a bright child, high school athlete, military veteran, mathematical physicist, medical researcher, judge/lawyer, and finally a politician. That's a birdseye view, but hopefully it sounds less random and impossible if you read the text above.
This story is closely based on the life of the ideal leader described in Plato's Republic, Book VII. This is also the part of the Republic that contains Plato's famous cave story, which in fact is a metaphor specifically for the life I just described.
http://www.crandallu.ca/courses/grphil/RepBookVII.htm
A truly amazing text, I recommend reading it (it' s only 10 - 20 pages, but the format takes some getting use to). Just when I think the story can't get any better, one of the best parts comes right at the end :
http://www.crandallu.ca/courses/grphil/RepBookVII.htm
A truly amazing text, I recommend reading it (it' s only 10 - 20 pages, but the format takes some getting use to). Just when I think the story can't get any better, one of the best parts comes right at the end :
Glaucon : You are a sculptor, Socrates, and have made statues of our governors faultless in beauty.
Socrates : Yes, I said, Glaucon, and of our governesses too; for you must not suppose that what I have been saying applies to men only and not to women as far as their natures can go.
****
This is an expression of full gender equality, by one of the top white - male western philosophers of all time, thousands of years before modern feminism. That' s why I wrote my text in a general neutral way, in tribute.
Socrates : Yes, I said, Glaucon, and of our governesses too; for you must not suppose that what I have been saying applies to men only and not to women as far as their natures can go.
****
This is an expression of full gender equality, by one of the top white - male western philosophers of all time, thousands of years before modern feminism. That' s why I wrote my text in a general neutral way, in tribute.
What do you think of this life ? It seems to contrast with the modern idea that people can be good at only one thing, and even then only if they were born talented ?
If you think it would be impossible for a person to be this diverse, why do you think that ? Even if this is an impossible to achieve ideal, isn' t at least something good to consider and strive for ? What about presidential elections in the united states, where politicians have to convince us that they are "ordinary folks", shouldn't we select extraordinary people with lives more like this ?
If you think it would be impossible for a person to be this diverse, why do you think that ? Even if this is an impossible to achieve ideal, isn' t at least something good to consider and strive for ? What about presidential elections in the united states, where politicians have to convince us that they are "ordinary folks", shouldn't we select extraordinary people with lives more like this ?
