NO MAN IS FIT TO RULE Plato’s Republic is his attempt to creat a society capable

NO MAN IS FIT TO RULE

Plato’s Republic is his attempt to creat a society capable of manufacturing a contemporary heroic general.

But Tolkien has a different take:that none of us is fit to rule .

“My political opinions lean more and more to Anarchy (philosophically understood, meaning the abolition of control not whiskered men with bombs) — or to ‘unconstitutional’ Monarchy. I would arrest anybody who uses the word State (in any sense other than the inaminate real of England and its inhabitants, a thing that has neither power, rights nor mind); and after a chance of recantation, execute them if they remained obstinate! If we could go back to personal names, it would do a lot of good. Government is an abstract noun meaning the art and process of governing and it should be an offence to write it with a capital G or so to refer to people. […] Anyway the proper study of Man is anything but Man; and the most improper job of any man, even saints (who at any rate were at least unwilling to take it on), is bossing other men. Not one in a million is fit for it, and least of all those who seek the opportunity. ”

(Thanks to Francesco Principi.)