Plato on ‘Post-truth’ or Misology, the hatred of reason

The father — of metaphilosophy

Plato is often regarded as the father of Western philosophy. He and his teacher Socrates should certainly be regarded as the fathers of what we call “metaphilosophy” — that is, philosophical reflection about what philosophy is, or should be.

Think of Plato’s Apology, arguably the most influential philosophical text ever written, outside of Confucius’ Analects. It is all about Socrates justifying what philosophy is, in truth, to people who are, let us say…