Enlightentment

In the Allegory of the cave Plato describes the philosopher as a sublime form – outside the cave. It is the hard task of the philosopher to enter the cave, to try to cut some of the bands that bind ordinary people – in an eternal gaze at the cavewall. But what is the light Plato talks about? The light is the truth – the soul’s light. It is when we are fighting for truth, to reach down into the cave, to man, that we give light to our souls. It is a struggle against insularity, deep-rooted prejudices and human inertia. Humans do not like to have challenged his worldview, whether it is that the world is flat or that Islam is religion of peace. But commitment to the light of truth is incontrovertible, democracy works only if citizens have real information to form their opinion on – whatever the cost to the free peoples who are fighting to get the light right down to the end of the cave.

Freedom of speech

The truth is not a solid unit that never changes. The truth moves. Socrates point; that the truth is found in conversation, is the foundation of Rubicon. We know that truth is relative to the situation, but we believe that we can find it – here and now in dialogue.
When Socrates was accused of “leading the youth in to immorality” – he was indignant. He compared Athens to Bellerophon, the proud warrior who at Pegasus flew towards the sun. He said, “I am the wasp stinging the noble steed who is Athens, Athens, famous for culture and wisdom”. Why? Because self-centredness, insistence on their mandatory nature of truth, is poison to democracy. It is only when democracy gives a free environment for debate, that Socrates has the opportunity to challenge the taboos that otherwise leads to hubris.

Rubicon

When Julius Caesar stood and looked out over the beautiful hills of Northern Italy 2000 years ago, he was in doubt. He was not allowed to cross a small river with his army, because the senate would not allow armies in Rome. Caesar was in doubt whether he should follow his conscience, and go against Rome to fight the corruption that prevailed, or he should respect his orders. He chose to go with his army to fight the muddle Rome had fallen in. He said, “Aelia acta est,” “the die is cast” as he crossed the river Rubicon.

Asger Trier Engberg