Do you see any connections between Plato’s Republic and A Song of Ice and Fire?

warsofasoiaf:

Plato actually seems to be the man to really buy into Varys’s ideology of “a perfect prince.” The notion of the wise and just philosopher-king ruling as a literal “best” aristocrat aligns with Varys designing a ruler from birth to be that thing, and that Aegon’s experiences will render him the least susceptible to corruption.

If anything, Aegon VI and the series at large is a rebuttal to the idealistic notions of the Republic (as it is to Chosen Ones in general) because in reality, imperfection exists at all levels which separates it from Plato’s dreamed Kallipolis.

Thanks for the question, Bombshell.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

Interesting little historical tidbit: the one time Plato tried out his whole philosopher-king idea in practice, while advising the tyrant Dionysius of Syracuse, he so infuriated the man that he was sold into slavery as the lenient alternative to the death penalty. 

So Varys’ scheme doesn’t exactly have a great historical track record, and Platonists make very bad political advisers.