ecay is inevitable is it possible to regain beauty in the condition of the perfect state?Plato would say no, that tyranny is the next inevitable step for us. I have digressed a little from beauty, however it is worth following this line of thinking just a bit further. To the tyrant, whatever is best for him is best for the state. (566b3-5) Beauty is far from his mind. (568-569) In our system, it is similar. In many cases it is kill or be killed, politically at least. We are a democracy, but we have many tyrants masquerading behind the veneer of politically correct speech, occasionally throwing a bone to the people. Like Plato described, they hire loud mouth spin masters to compel the masses to follow them. But if you look at this as work they have a sort of beauty in their own way. If they do their work well, it has a measure, and like any work, if it is perfect, it is beautiful.But when the perfect work can only exist in a decayed state, I say that it is not perfect. Of course it makes people happy because it makes them wealthy and powerful. Anybody strong enough to take over, can have happiness. This sort of replaces the selection of guardians by the philosophers with selection by war. The winners rule. The winners must be wise and powerful to win and to remain in power, even if it is ugly and lacking in beauty. But we have one final element to deal with that Plato didn't. We have a global community. Communication is instantaneous worldwide. People all over the world are a real part of each others daily lives. The state is becoming the world. As we enter this new type of state, I think the question shifts away from can beauty save the world to what is the definition of justice in a worldwide state?...
