# Who would you choose as benevolent dictator or philosopher king today? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 28, 2011, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-choose-as-benevolent-dictator-or-philosopher-king-today/607582 "2011-12-28T01:19:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Linden\_Arden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@Linden\_Arden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linden_Arden)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-choose-as-benevolent-dictator-or-philosopher-king-today/607582/1 "2011-12-28T01:19:32Z")
I would choose Warren Buffett. I know conservatives hate him but he is beyond reproach, honest, brilliantly intellectual, and disinterested in terms of making money from public graft. Our current form of government is sorely lacking and Plato has been on my mind. Any objections? ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-choose-as-benevolent-dictator-or-philosopher-king-today/607582/2 "2011-12-28T01:23:50Z")
Yeah, I object. If anybody gets to be Benevolent Dictator it oughta be me. Otherwise, I’ll have to go all _Red Dawn_ on somebody’s ass. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-choose-as-benevolent-dictator-or-philosopher-king-today/607582/3 "2011-12-28T01:31:08Z")
> [@Linden\_Arden](#): > > Our current form of government is sorely lacking and Plato has been on my mind. I think Bertrand Russell sussed it – from\* A History of Western Philosophy,\* Chapter XIV, “Plato’s Utopia”: > [@](#): > > . . . Although all the rulers are to be philosophers, there are to be no innovations; a philosopher is to be, for all time, a man who understands and agrees with Plato. > > When we ask: what will Plato’s Republic achieve? The answer is rather humdrum. It will achieve success in wars against roughly equal populations, and it will secure a livelihood for a certain small number of people. It will almost certainly produce no art or science, because of its rigidity; in this respect, as in others, it will be like Sparta. In spite of all the fine talk, skill in war and enough to eat is all that will be achieved. Plato had lived through famine and defeat in Athens; perhaps, subconsciously, he thought the avoidance of these evils the best that statesmanship could accomplish. “Put the smart guy in charge” might seem like common sense and maybe it is, in general terms; but, you’d have to accept Plato’s whole system, including his value-system (which despises the “democratic man”), before you accept his reasons for making kings of philosophers. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-choose-as-benevolent-dictator-or-philosopher-king-today/607582/4 "2011-12-28T01:45:05Z")
A [Culture Mind](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Culture#Minds). I certainly wouldn’t trust any human to be competent, benevolent or incorruptible enough to be such a ruler. ---
**Author:** ![UFC\_Is\_Sux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/46a35a/32.png) [@UFC\_Is\_Sux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UFC_Is_Sux)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-choose-as-benevolent-dictator-or-philosopher-king-today/607582/5 "2011-12-28T01:48:25Z")
Stephen Hawking. But he would never accept the job. ---
**Author:** ![Dennis\_Arthur\_PERRETT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3e96dc/32.png) [@Dennis\_Arthur\_PERRETT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dennis_Arthur_PERRETT)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-choose-as-benevolent-dictator-or-philosopher-king-today/607582/6 "2011-12-28T02:17:14Z")
What about Jimmy Buffet? If we chopped his head off cause he bored us to death with his music noone would really give a fuck. As for a philosopher King I put forward Dennis Miller. The president’s address would still be full of political mumbo jumbo and some crap about war and the economy but funnier and more entertaining. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-choose-as-benevolent-dictator-or-philosopher-king-today/607582/7 "2011-12-28T02:35:07Z")
Can anyone here actually name any living philosophers of note? Let’s start there. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-choose-as-benevolent-dictator-or-philosopher-king-today/607582/8 "2011-12-28T02:40:00Z")
I wouldn’t want a brilliant or perfectly ethical person; I would want some one who could inspire the service and devotion of brilliant and ethical people. Then he would be subject to a variety of opinions. And it would have to be a man, so prevent the accusations of being too easily manipulated by his advisors. Well, a man or Madeline Albright. And he should be tall, and good looking, because people like and are re-assured by that. It also would give him additional confidence, necessary to not be threatened by people more intelligent and ethical than he. He would have to be intelligent enough to select the most gifted advisors, and, ideally, less intelligent than they, so he would take their advice. He would have to be less ethical than his advisors, because government always requires compromise. He would have to have more than his fair share of charm, for the same reason. He would also have to be a populist. The oligarchs will always support a stable government; he will need the support of the populace to keep the society stable - which is good for everyone. So, he will need that common touch, folksy manner, what ever you want to call it. So, I want a tall, good looking, smart and charming man, with a folksy manner that hides his intelligence. ---
**Author:** ![UFC\_Is\_Sux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/46a35a/32.png) [@UFC\_Is\_Sux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UFC_Is_Sux)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-choose-as-benevolent-dictator-or-philosopher-king-today/607582/9 "2011-12-28T02:43:25Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Can anyone here actually name any living philosophers of note? Let’s start there. Noam Chomsky Jurgen Habermas Saul Kripke Alasdair MacIntyre John Searle Peter Singer ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-choose-as-benevolent-dictator-or-philosopher-king-today/607582/10 "2011-12-28T02:44:04Z")
> [@UFC\_Is\_Sux](#): > > Noam Chomsky OK, he can be King! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![UFC\_Is\_Sux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/46a35a/32.png) [@UFC\_Is\_Sux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UFC_Is_Sux)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-choose-as-benevolent-dictator-or-philosopher-king-today/607582/11 "2011-12-28T02:46:26Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > OK, he can be King! 🙂 Another question about whether he would accept it. He’d have to take a considerable pay cut and I just don’t see him going for it. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-choose-as-benevolent-dictator-or-philosopher-king-today/607582/12 "2011-12-28T03:05:45Z")
> [@UFC\_Is\_Sux](#): > > Another question about whether he would accept it. He’d have to take a considerable pay cut and I just don’t see him going for it. Yes, it is hard to lure the top minds away from the earning potential of philosophy. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-choose-as-benevolent-dictator-or-philosopher-king-today/607582/13 "2011-12-28T03:12:50Z")
> [@](#): > > Any objections? Yeah, I’d object to Mr. Buffet. Besides being associated with those all you can eat thingies that I really, truly hate, and besides the questionable assertions that he’s ‘beyond reproach, honest, brilliantly intellectual, and disinterested in terms of making money from public graft’ (to paraphrase from Groundhog Day, we ARE talking about a human here, right? :p) he’s, well, old. He’d never last as a benevolent dictator, and then what would we do? Re-elect someone else or give the job to one of his kids in a year or so when the pressures had him shuffling off this mortal coil? No, what you need is someone like, well, me. I mean what’s not to like? I’m dashing (it’s the Hispanic blood no doubt), round (you don’t want some military type with bulging muscles, right?), balding, and not TOO old…plus, I really want the job, which I’m sure no one else on this board would think to put themselves forward for it (discount that first post in the thread please). I think the title should be God Emperor however. Buxom and nubile female types, there is an application for grape peelers and palm frond fanners…line forms over there to the right please… -XT ---
**Author:** ![UFC\_Is\_Sux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/46a35a/32.png) [@UFC\_Is\_Sux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UFC_Is_Sux)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-choose-as-benevolent-dictator-or-philosopher-king-today/607582/14 "2011-12-28T03:13:42Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Yes, it is hard to lure the top minds away from the earning potential of philosophy. As the Pirate Bay has taught us, who pays for intellectual property these days? And what true philosopher would accept anything but a token $1 per year payment? Fox News would eat him alive if he accepted anything more than cab fare. Combine that with a cool crown and ermine robes and you’ve got … you’ve got … I got nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-choose-as-benevolent-dictator-or-philosopher-king-today/607582/15 "2011-12-28T03:21:17Z")
Fareed Zakaria. I’m sure tons of people are more qualified, but he comes to mind as a fairly rational policy wonk. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-choose-as-benevolent-dictator-or-philosopher-king-today/607582/16 "2011-12-28T04:49:13Z")
If I become Supreme Philosopher God Emperor of America, I promise to subject all deconstructionists to public deconstruction by the public torturer (officially, the Wielder of Occam’s Razor). ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-choose-as-benevolent-dictator-or-philosopher-king-today/607582/17 "2011-12-28T05:36:07Z")
Benevolent? Benevolent? I’m sorry, y’all need whipping. ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-choose-as-benevolent-dictator-or-philosopher-king-today/607582/18 "2011-12-28T05:41:32Z")
If I had to choose somebody, I would go with [Barry C. Black](http://www.senate.gov/reference/common/person/barry_black.htm), currently the Chaplain of the U. S. Senate. He combines a lot of attributes that I find desirable in a leader. He has an inspiring life story, being born in poverty in inner-city Baltimore and working his way through college. He is very educated, with five graduate degrees including two Ph.D.'s. He’s studied and written on a broad range of topics that a leader should know, including politics, economics, religion, philosophy, history, and psychology. He’s been awarded by the NAACP for his civil rights achievements including being the first black admiral in the U. S. Navy and the first black man in his current post. His post has also necessitated working with members of both parties. Having seen him speaking in public, I can testify that he is an excellent speaker. That said, I would still prefer democracy to dictatorship by anyone. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-choose-as-benevolent-dictator-or-philosopher-king-today/607582/19 "2011-12-28T05:46:18Z")
Of course, if we’re gonna do this Plato’s way, we’re gonna have to **breed** and **train** our philosopher-kings. In a cloistered, ivory-tower environment. ---
**Author:** ![Latro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@Latro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latro)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-choose-as-benevolent-dictator-or-philosopher-king-today/607582/20 "2011-12-28T10:50:42Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#): > > That said, I would still prefer democracy to dictatorship by anyone. How about a kind of intermediate? A senate composed of educated, intelligent people, instead of the political creatures. Maybe no president? Presidents are beacon for powergrabbers, and an easy step up to dictatorship. But how do we ensure this senate stays filled with the right people? There should be ‘checks and balances’. It should remain open to new blood, not an inbred club that resticts membership to its own. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-choose-as-benevolent-dictator-or-philosopher-king-today/607582.md?page=2)