# Today’s politics ignore ancient wisdom on limits

> Modern leaders lack reverence for wisdom, risking democracy’s collapse.
- Title: Today’s politics ignore ancient wisdom on limits | Shortify
- Summary: Modern leaders lack reverence for wisdom, risking democracy’s collapse. Politicians who ignore their limits and principles threaten democratic stability.
- Keywords: plato, reverence, shame, political leadership, constitutional government, irreverence, democracy, wisdom, awe, political virtue, science, ideas
- Source: The Conversation — https://theconversation.com/todays-irreverent-politics-ignore-ancient-wisdom-the-need-to-know-your-limits-288318
- Author: Robert A. Ballingall
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: plato, reverence, shame, political leadership, constitutional government, irreverence, democracy, wisdom, awe, political virtue, science, ideas
## Plato’s political virtue
Plato identified reverence as a key political virtue governing shame and awe.

> reverence: the virtue governing shame, as well as awe
## Modern politicians lack shame
Current leaders show no fear of disgrace and revel in contempt for old rules.

> shamelessness
## Leadership requires self-check
Good leaders must limit themselves to revere larger principles they would be ashamed to betray.

> the ability to limit herself, to revere some larger principle that she would be ashamed to betray
## Plato’s 'Laws' on ignorance
Plato’s 'Laws' teaches citizens to recognize their ignorance and seek wise authority.

> the scarcity of wisdom: the dearth of knowledge needed to live a flourishing human life
## Reverence as shame and awe
Reverence combines shame (fear of disapproval) and awe (feeling small before wisdom).

> aidos: the virtue governing shame, as well as awe
## Modern politics need reverence
Liberal democracies require citizens who respect their judgment’s limits and higher principles.

> shaming people for disregarding the awesome nature of wisdom might appear a gross violation of their freedom of conscience
## Awe for democracy’s responsibility
Citizens feel awe for the responsibility of self-government in diverse democracies.

> Citizens might feel awe, for example, at the enormous responsibility of self-government
## Shamelessness threatens democracy
Leaders who ignore their limits risk democratic collapse through shamelessness.

> the shamelessness that many observers find so disturbing will likely continue
## What happens next
Politicians must revere wisdom to avoid democratic collapse.

> until they cease to find an approving audience for their contempt of principled behavior
## Key takeaway

Politicians who ignore their limits and principles threaten democratic stability.