在世界新聞傳播史上,柏拉圖的名字一直與集權主義聯系在一起。人們一般把他看成是近代集權主義理論的始作俑者。很大程度上正是由于兩千多年前他是第一個比較系統地論述傳播控制思想的哲學家。他提出的對詩歌、戲劇、音樂與講故事等傳播活動進行內容控制的主張與思想揭示了媒介內容傳播控制的一般性客觀規律。從傳播思想史的演變軌跡來看,這種傳播控制思想后來被繼承、發展為近代集權主義理論,無疑影響深遠。但其傳播控制思想的最初形成動機和形成背景值得我們以另外一個視角去觀照。

In the world history of journalism and communication,Plato’s name has been linked with authoritarianism.Because he was the first to systematically discusses transmission control at more than two thousand years ago.People usually regard him as the initiator of modern totalitarian theory.His proposal for controlling contents and thoughts of communicative activities such as poetry,drama,music and storytelling reveals the general objective laws of media content propagation control.From the point of view of the evolution of the history of communication thoughts,ideas of propagation control were later inherited and developed into the modern totalitarian theory.There is no doubt that it has a farreaching impact.But his thoughts’ initial formation motive and background are still worth examining from another perspective.