This idea is from The Republic, by Plato, written in about 360 BC. The Republic is probably the most famous book in all of philosophy. Read my mini-review and overall impressions.
The truth is that the State in which the rulers are most reluctant to govern is always the best and most quietly governed, and the State in which they are most eager, the worst.
~Plato, The Republic (Book VII)
Well this is an idea that seems quite obvious, and is definitely applicable today. Think about how the United States election process works. Most often the winner of our elections is the man who campaigns the most, who spends the most money on ads, who makes the most speeches. He must do this for months (maybe even years for the presidential election). Therefore, we elect the most eager men to be our rulers.
Is there a better way we could do this? Perhaps some sort of a nomination process where the candidates are not allowed to self-promote or campaign? We might identify and vote on the most able men, who are then expected to serve as our senators, our governors and our presidents as a duty to society. Kind of like jury duty. This might better ensure that our leaders are motivated to do the right thing: to make fair laws and to work for the betterment of all classes of society.
What next?
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