> These books/things taught me nothing (nil) about ethics - they are about questions that were relevant centuries ago. / On the other hand: good hard science-fi

> These books/things taught me nothing (nil) about ethics - they are about questions that were relevant centuries ago. / On the other hand: good hard science-fiction literature... When I read these books, I learn nothing (nil) about ethics, they are about questions that are relevant centuries from now. I kid. More seriously though... the debate about whether a democracy should invade a country in order to ensure it's security while it's main enemy is a completely different country isn't a 21st century concern: the Athenians debated the same thing before invading Syracuse. What should the role of rich people be in a republic with vast wealth inequality and a rapidly urbanizing population during a time of increasing demagoguery and populism isn't just a concern in the 21st century US election for the office of President, it was also a concern in the 2nd century BC Roman election for the office of Tribune. We could come up with a new analysis about the trade-offs between a government of elected officials coming from the people and one consisting of specialized elites trained for the task, but Plato summarized the main arguments already in the Republic. The list goes on. I would sum up saying there's nothing new under the sun, but someone already beat me to it[1]. [1] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes+1%3A9&version=NIV https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes+1%...