Ben,

Is this really the fault of the people, or even the rulers, if we can’t distinguish between the absolute and the ideal? Wouldn’t it really be the fault of the philosophers?

An absolute is a universal state and the only universal is the equilibrium of absolute zero. Where all the forms, tensions, contrasts, shapes, maps, territory, whatever, cancel out. The flatline between the ups and the downs.

For example, a spiritual absolute would be that primal essence of sentience, bubbling up through life and from which it rises, not some ideal of wisdom and judgement, from which it fell.

Nietzsche’s abyss, staring back.

While an ideal is whatever you would want it to be, as it is an object/locus of desire.

Obviously most people desire their ideals to be universal, otherwise other people might think we are weird, or we might think they would think we are weird, if they knew what we want, but philosophers???? They are as clueless as everyone else.

That philosophy hasn’t seen the problem and made an issue out of it over the course of the last few millennia just goes to show we get what we deserve. Suckered by sociopaths, who promise us our desires and pick our pockets.