#148: Profiling the Mind of a Tyrant (Plato's Republic, Book 9) episode artwork

EPISODE · Mar 24, 2026 · 29 MIN

#148: Profiling the Mind of a Tyrant (Plato's Republic, Book 9)

from Intellectual Freedom Podcast · host David D. Hopkins, PhD

We all envy the Wolf. We look at the Billionaire on the yacht, the Dictator in the palace, or the Rock Star trashing the hotel room, and we think: "Must be nice. To have no rules. To take whatever you want."We assume Absolute Power = Absolute Freedom. But Plato says: You are looking at a slave.In Book IX of The Republic, Socrates walks us into the bedroom of the Tyrant and shows us the nightmare. He argues that the man who has "everything" actually has nothing, because he has lost the ability to say "No" to himself.Socrates profiles the "Master Passion." He describes the Tyrant not as a King, but as a junkie. Just like a meth addict will steal a catalytic converter to feed his habit, the Tyrant will steal a city to feed his ego. He is whipped, driven, and tortured by a desire he cannot control.In this episode, Dr. Hopkins breaks down:The Wolf of Wall Street: Why Jordan Belfort wasn't "Free"—he was a paralyzed slave crawling to his car.The Paranoia of Power: Why the Tyrant can never have a friend, only accomplices and potential assassins.The Chimera: Plato’s terrifying image of the human soul—a Man, a Lion, and a Multi-Headed Beast fighting for control of your body.The Solution: How to "Feed the Man" and "Starve the Beast" in your own daily life.Are you driving the car? Or is the Beast driving you?🎧 Listen now to perform the audit.Send us Fan MailFollow the Intellectual Freedom Podcast on Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581532813468 X : https://x.com/Int_Freedom_podLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/intellectual-freedom-podcast

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Mar 24, 2026

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We all envy the Wolf. We look at the Billionaire on the yacht, the Dictator in the palace, or the Rock Star trashing the hotel room, and we think: "Must be nice. To have no rules. To take whatever you want." We assume Absolute Power = Absolute Freedom. But Plato says: You are looking at a slave. In Book IX of The Republic, Socrates walks us into the bedroom of the Tyrant and shows us the nightmare. He argues that the man who has "everything" actually has nothing, because he has lost the abili...

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#148: Profiling the Mind of a Tyrant (Plato's Republic, Book 9)

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