Greek philosophy should be studied by the Greeks

Greece may be about to sink itself with an ill-advised referendum... the citizens are likely to put short-term self-interest above the long-term good of their nation.  It seems apropos to point out that Plato - arguably the most famous Greek ever - would have thought this approach to be laughable. 

In the "Republic", Plato criticized the general intellectual competence of the electorate, and asserted that what the majority decides to do is rarely the best - or even an acceptable - path.  He warned that short-term and long-term expectations and decisions of any sufficiently large democratic group would be - in the best case - ill-advised and uninformed, and - in the worst case - crazy and dangerous.

 

Ironic that the Greeks would hold him up their most brilliant philosopher, while ignoring the very foundation of his philosophies.