I recently went to Concord, Massachusetts to tour the homes of some of our country’s greatest thinkers and writers, including, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Thoreau, and Hawthorne. I found that they were greatly influenced by the writings of the Greek philosopher, Plutarch. I also discovered that many of the great leaders and thinkers, including Montaigne, Shakespeare, and Rousseau were also influenced by Plutarch. Even more, I discovered that from the founding of this country through the early nineteenth century, Plutarch was essential reading and was the second most likely book to be found in an American home after the bible. So, I decided to read Plutarch.
What Plutarch’s Essays on Morality, Virtues, and Leadership Reveal About Trumpism
Plutarch wrote essays on morality, virtues, and leadership among other things. Plutarch believed that greatness came from strength of character through the study and practice of the virtues and the study and imitation of the great leaders. Plutarch believed that virtues needed to be practiced every day and that is how one developed character, by studying the virtues and working on them daily by making moral, ethical and virtuous decisions. Plutarch believed that people can be educated into forming good character. Plutarch listed and explained the virtues and how to work on developing character every day. Virtue requires training the mind so as to not fall prey to its excesses like anger, lust, intemperance, pettiness, and so on. He stated that leaders, parents, and teachers need to be good role models and exercise virtuous actions so that others would follow.
Plutarch also wrote about how to be a great leader. He did this by researching the great leaders and the qualities of those great leaders. He found that great leaders created longstanding and stable societies. Plutarch found that great leaders had an innate senses of justice and morality. Those leaders put the interests of others ahead of themselves. He also found that the great leaders showed calmness of temper, sobriety of nature, wisdom, and prudence. The great leaders did not direct their leadership toward their own aggrandizement, but rather they thought of the welfare of their people.
Plutarch also researched leaders that lacked one or more of the virtues required to be a great leader and discovered how their lack of a virtue can infect everyone around them and society as a whole very quickly. Leaders are the most important role models in society. Plutarch discovered that a leader’s lack of one of the virtues can destabilize and bring down a whole society. Immoral, unethical leaders cause others around them to be immoral and unethical. Immoral and unethical leaders lower the standards of behavior for us all and create disorder in society.
Plutarch listed and explained the virtues needed for leadership. When I read the virtues, I was shocked to realize that Trump lacked every single virtue of a good leader. Think you will disagree with me? Read the virtues below and answer it for yourself.
As Plutarch showed, it only takes the lack of one of the virtues to ruin a society. What happens when a leader lacks them all? Many people I know who are Trump supporters know that he lacks any of the virtues, but support him because they like his policies and judicial appointees. But, what most do not realize is the true danger to society that occurs when a leader lacks every virtue to be a good leader. Before reading Plutarch, I would have thought that calling Trump a danger to society was hyperbole. But now, I challenge everyone to read this and see if any other conclusion can be drawn.
Plutarch’s List of Virtues Needed for Leadership
Below is a summary of the virtues that Plutarch believed a good leader needed to have and discussion of the dangers to society when the leader lacks any one of them, let alone all of them.
Prudence
Plutarch pointed out that to be a great leader, you had to practice the virtue of prudence which is knowing when and where to act and forebear from acting. Leaders who show prudence exercise foresight and timing and eschew hubris. Plutarch found that to become prudent, the leader should not have an over-inflated sense of self. Prudence is important in a leader because it allows the leader to focus his or her energies on the most important things rather than dissipating their energies. A prudent leader knows how to put out of mind trifling and inconsequential annoyances. A prudent leader uses his or her time wisely. Being able to ignore inconsequential matters and annoyances shows that the leader has mental discipline. An undisciplined mind allows a leader to become consumed with unimportant matters.
Looking at Trump, because he has an over-inflated sense of self, it seems he spends all of his time on trifling matters and inconsequential annoyances. He completely lacks the disciplined mind that allows great leaders to focus on what is really important. Trump seems to constantly be dissipating his energy in petty matters instead of using his time wisely. Our entire society follows Trump’s lead. We are consumed daily by trifling, petty matters instead of what is most important like healthcare, the debt/deficit, our foreign enemies, etc. If Trump had a disciplined mind, he would not distract society with petty matters on twitter. He would be able to ignore the trifling, stay away from twitter, and focus his energy on issues that really matter to this country. But instead, he consumes himself and us with trifling, inconsequential, and petty matters.
Justice
The next important value for a leader is justice. Justice is described as giving each person what they are due and having strong moral principles of honesty, decency, honor, integrity, and trustworthiness. To Plutarch, justice is also shown in the exercise of eschewing flattery and sycophants.
Plutarch used as an example Lysander who handled vast amounts of public wealth, but never used the wealth to enrich himself unjustly. It is unjust for a leader to use his position to enrich himself. Justice also manifests in how we treat others and our interactions with others. Plutarch looked at an example of Alexander the Great. Alexander the Great shared in his men’s hardships. Alexander and his men were in distress because they lacked water. When locals brought water to Alexander, he refused to drink it and instead chose to suffer with his men. Even though he was choked with thirst, he would not drink the water because his men would get no water. By showing that he knew it would be unjust for him to quench his thirst and not his men, he gained his men’s loyalty.
Trump’s life history and current behavior shows that he lacks honesty, decency, honor, and integrity. Trump lied to and betrayed his own family by carrying on with mistresses. Showing his lack of character, he even brought his mistress, Marla Maples, along on his family vacation. Marla, getting jealous of him spending time with his family, confronted Trump’s then wife Ivanna on their family vacation about the affair. Moreover, instead of taking the just and right act of serving his country, Trump escaped military service by claiming he had bone spurs. Trump is quick to lie about just about everything, including the size of crowds. Trump’s lies seem to be constant and second nature.
As Plutarch further stated, justice also manifests in how we treat others and our demands on others. In terms of our demands on our friendships and colleagues, leaders should not demand blind loyalty, flatterers, and sycophants, but know that a real friend is also a truth teller. It is dangerous for a leader to demand blind loyalty because those surrounding the leader will become worried about losing the leader’s confidence and friendship if they tell the leader the truth. Those around a leader that demands flattery and sycophants will worry about falling out of favor with the leader if they speak up and caution against actions. When leaders demand flattery and sycophants, it can be disastrous for a society. Leaders with this failing can engage in clearly unsuccessful wars and other disastrous activities because they created a situation where standing up to the leader and telling the truth that they did not want to hear would make them fall out of favor with the leader.
Not only is surrounding yourself with blind loyalist and flatterers dangerous because those around the leader will be fearful of speaking the truth, but those with bad intentions will know that the leader is susceptible to and weakened by flattery. People, including other nations, are able to use the leader’s weakness for flattery and praise against them. The leader can be seduced or manipulated through flattery and praise into doing dangerous and unwise things by those who know that the leader suffers from this great weakness.
Rather than surrounding himself with truth-tellers, Trump demands blind loyalty, flattery, and sycophants. If those in his orbit caution him against his worst inclinations, they fall into disfavor. Those who tell the truth are attacked as traitors. Trump has created a dangerous circle of ideologues, flatterers, sycophants, and conspirators in his lack of virtues. Those in the Republican party who stand up for what is right or try to act as a truth-teller quickly fall into disfavor and are viciously attacked. This is an incredibly dangerous situation for society.
Moreover, Trump shamelessly puts his personal failings and weaknesses front stage. Everyone, including those who do not have our country’s best interests in mind, knows that one of Trump’s major weaknesses is the need for flattery and praise. His need for constant flattery and praise seems to allow himself to be brought under the spell of tyrants and dictators who show him the flattery and praise he so desperately needs. This puts us all into an incredibly dangerous situation where he has no truth-tellers and he can be manipulated by those who do not have our best interests at heart with flattery and praise.
Fortitude
Plutarch further explained that great leaders show fortitude in doing the right thing. Plutarch gave examples of leaders who would do the right thing even in the face of pain and death. Leaders that have fortitude believe in principles greater than their self and are willing to sacrifice themselves for those principles. Fortitude is not recklessness or rashness. Fortitude is strength of character and prudence and having strong principles and beliefs that matter above the self.
Plutarch also points out that great leaders have the fortitude to bear offenses with mildness. Great leaders are able to control their anger. Plutarch gave many examples of great leaders who were able to control their anger and cautioned by providing examples of leaders who acted poorly by giving into their anger. Plutarch cautioned that anger is immoderate and can cause an leader to act without reason and control and to blindly follow their passion. Plutarch said anyone who will control and lead others must first control themselves. Plutarch said that the way to do this is to daily feed on reason. Giving in to reason or indulging in anger is developed by practice and habit. If you work at resisting anger and cultivate reason, you will be less prone to anger.
Plutarch also said it is the habit of great leaders to always take the high road when they are criticized rather engaging in passions and anger. Plutarch described anger and lashing out as ugliness and disfiguring. Anger and lashing out is an exhibition of the lack of self-control and the debasing of humanity. Plutarch said that what separates man from wild beast is self-control. He said that self-control is one of the most important characteristics of manliness. He also said that not learning to exhibit self-control and giving in to anger is one of the worst of the passions because the point of it is to attack, hurt others, and to cause others pain and sorrow.
Trump seems to only care about himself. He does not seem to have any longstanding principles. He seems instead to be an opportunist who will exploit principles to his own purposes and own ends. Trump was a Democrat and pro-choice and then became pro-life and a far right Republican. He seems to have no principles at all, but instead knows what principles can be exploited to his own ends. Trump has never been religious, but will exploit those who are and their beliefs to his own ends.
Trump never seems to operate on reason, but instead constantly indulges his anger. His first impulse is to ridicule and attack rather than calm himself and focus on what really is important. Rather than taking the high road when he is criticized, which would show his good character, he indulges his worst instincts. Trump never shows that he has any self-control. Trump is quick to anger, attack, and to seek to hurt others. Trump never shows that he can stop from angering and use reason. Instead, Trump seems to thrive on attacking others and inflicting hurt. Trump’s lack of self-control and being a good role model infects all of us. Our society is becoming more quick to anger, people our quickly forgetting the virtue of self-control, and people are quick to attack and to seek to hurt others. Our most important leader, the President, is a role model and sets the tone for societal behavior. All of our standards are being reduced by Trump’s poor example.
Temperance
Plutarch also pointed out that great leaders show temperance. Temperance is the showing of moderation in action, thought, and emotions. Temperance is the habitual moderation in the indulgence of the appetites or passions. In other words, it is how we moderate our emotions, the desire for pleasure, show restraint, and show moderation rather than gluttony.
Plutarch explains that those who show compassion for animals without being overly sentimental is an example of a well-ordered mind. Plutarch explained that kindness to animals is essential, but those who are overly emotional and sentimental so as to treat animals like humans is giving into overly sentimental emotions rather than having temperance. Plutarch believed that kindness to animals was not only for the sake of the beast, but for the sake of the person’s own humanity. Plutarch said that those who take part in cruelty to animals and violent blood sports show a pathology of mind. If people indulge and practice in cruelty to animals, over time it can lead to violent and blood thirsty behavior toward your fellow man.
Plutarch also cautioned against wanting excesses. He cautioned against leaders whose ambitions were their own glory. He warned of Pyrrhus who was blinded by his own appetite and passion for glory that he sought to conquer without reason. In the end, his winning and conquering was at such a loss to his men and nation that his victory actually amounted to a devastating loss. If Pyrrhus would have acted out of reason and for the public good rather than his own want of glory, he would not have created such a massive for his society.
Plutarch praised leaders who showed civic-mindedness and those who worked to elevate rather than debased culture. He criticized those who infect into culture a low meanness and viciousness and cultural debasement. He said it was also important for leaders in society to show their hatred of tyranny and their abhorrence of wickedness.
Plutarch also talks about how leaders who have uncontrolled lust for the pleasures of sex are often ended by this. The central task of a leader is to create an ordered society, so the leader’s character matters. Order does not proceed from a person whose life is disordered by immoderation in sexual excesses and lust.
Trump seems to be constantly motivated by his own appetites and passions. Trump’s most basic motivations show a complete lack of moderation in action, thought, and emotion. Trump constantly shows that he is motivated more by his own ego than any principle or reason, let alone the public good. Rather than showing that he realizes it is important for a leader to work to elevate the discourse in society, Trump shows a low meanness and viciousness of character. Rather than showing he hates tyrants and dictators, he embraces and praises them. Furthermore, Trump seems to have zero control over his excesses including lust and desire. Trump has had many mistresses (one of which he paid off to keep silent) and slept with a porn star while married. His life has been an example in want of excess, disorder by immoderation in sexual excesses and lust, and immoderation in ego.
Money and Character
Plutarch also says that one’s handling of money tells a lot about their character. He was scathing toward those who let themselves be corrupted by money and the hoarding of wealth. A good leader uses his or her wealth take care of their families, use it for the public good, and to help others rather than hoarding it for themselves and for their own greed. Plutarch said that the hoarding of wealth which could be put to the use for good in society is one of the greatest of man’s follies.
Plutarch explained that great leaders know how to properly order their affection for riches and wealth. He explained that there is nothing wrong with enjoying the fruits of your labor. The problem is when one is incapable of moderating their desire for wealth and falling prey to greed. It is the intemperate pursuit of wealth that is the problem. Greed is a distraction from properly ordering yourself, your family, and society. He gave an example of a leader who, in battle, failed to press on to final victory because greed had caused him to stop and count his winnings.
Not properly ordering your affection for money and falling prey to greed can create situations where bribery and corruption is rife in society. It can create a society where action or inaction is not because it was the reasonable or correct course of action for the public, but because it would enrich the leader. Plutarch gives many example of leaders who were superior to the temptation of wealth and money and those who lessened themselves and their societies because they were driven by the temptation of wealth and greed.
Trump’s entire life has been about personal aggrandizement and greed for personal wealth. Trump has shown no ability to temper his greed. He pursues wealth as an end in and of itself not for the good that it can do for others. Trump used his charities as a way to enrich himself rather than help others. Trump shows no generosity with his wealth or temperance in his appetite for wealth.
The Rot of Trumpism Infecting Our Society
Many who support Trump know that he lacks character, values, morals, ethics, and is beneath the dignity of the office, but they support him because they like his judicial appointees and policies. The problem with this is that it is a Pyrrhic victory, in other words, a victory won at such a devastating cost to his supporters, those surrounding him, and our national moral and ethical values and standards of behavior that it is not a win at all. Rather than a win, it has created a rot in our government and our society. Those who surround him in the Administration become conspirators and lose their own character and integrity. Those who surround him must cover up and defend his bad behavior or fall into disfavor and be attacked.
Our entire society has begun to rot. Trump has created a situation where people have to give up their principles in order to support him. People have to say that virtues are no longer important. People have to say that it is not important that the President is a bad role model. Temperance is not important. Prudence is not important. Honesty is not important. Sexual morality is not important. His supporters have to ignore that he lacks every single virtue that is needed to be a great leader and to create a longstanding and stable society. Like those surrounding Trump, his supporters have to give him blind loyalty, cover up and defend his bad behavior, or fall into disfavor.
As Plutarch pointed out, a leader’s lack of even one of the virtues can destroy a society. It is truly terrifying to realize that Trump lacks every single virtue needed to be a good leader. Like it or not, as Plutarch pointed out, leaders are role models. Leaders set standards of behavior for a society. Our President is our leader. Trump has destroyed every standard of behavior in this society.
Dangers of the Trump’s Rot Destroying our Society
Before I read Plutarch, I thought it may be hyperbole that Trumpism is destroying our society, but I have come to realize that this is not hyperbole. In short order Trump has successfully done immense harm to the foundations of our society. One of the pillars of that foundation is the freedom of the press. Trump, for his own ends, has injured one of the most important foundations of a free society. Trump has convinced his followers that they cannot trust the free press — that the press is their enemy.
Make no mistake, no patriot leader would tell the people that the free press is their enemy. Why would a leader do this? To insulate themselves from accountability. Why would a leader try to insulate themselves from accountability? There is no good reason for this, it can only be for improper reasons.
Trump has attacked the free press not for the public good, but so he can insulate himself from accountability. He does it so people will ignore accounts of his misdeeds and his rot. True leaders know that they have nothing to fear from a free press and that people can be trusted to sort out the information. You have to worry when a leader is telling you that you that you should not read, listen to, or trust the free press. It should be an insult to your intelligence that they are assuming that you are unable to read, sort out information, form your own opinions, and think for yourself. It should be a warning sign that they are trying to insulate themselves from any accountability for their misdeeds.
Trump has also, for his own ends, successfully undermined trust in our entire government. What patriot, who wants a strong and stable country, would make their people not trust their own government institutions? Trump has made the public not trust the FBI, not trust their own CIA, not trust their courts, and not trust Congress. He has created a rot in America. He claims to his supporters that he is not the rot, but that their government is the rot and he is the only one who can be trusted. What patriot would seek to undermine the people’s trust their own government? A patriot would ensure people that they can trust their institutions. Historically, only dictators, tyrants, and other evil leaders would seek to undermine the public’s trust in their own institutions. What patriot would praise dictators, tyrants, and undemocratic leaders and attack their own democratic institutions? What patriot would say that they trust an enemy dictator like Putin over their own government? Russia is not out for our best interests and any patriot would know that.
Trump has planted the seeds of distrust and rot in the foundations of our society. This cannot be for any good end. Making people distrust the foundations of their society is dangerous and destabilizing. Trump’s infectious rot is not hyperbole. We need to stop the rot before we find out to what end the seeds have been laid. There can be no good reason for a leader to make their people lose trust in all of the institutions of their society.
Where Are Our Leaders Who Do Have Character? Where Are Our Patriots?
Trump’s rot has destroyed all of the values and principles of the Republican party and undermined our important institutions, yet the Republicans allow it to infect them all. We need all of those with character to stand together and stand up for what is right. We need to say that the virtues do matter and demand the virtues from our leaders. We should not think it is ok to give up all of our beliefs, principles, and standards of behavior. As Plutarch’s shows, It only takes a leader’s lack of one of the virtues to harm a society. If we are all honest, we all know in our guts that Trump lacks all of the virtues. We can all see the rot. Those who seek to cover up, dismiss, and defend the bad behavior are nothing other than conspirators.
Here is an excellent synopsis of Plutarch’s essays: