Plato, Only Fans, and the End of Western Civilization

About this Video

• Video Title: Plato, Only Fans, and the End of Western Civilization
• Channel: The War on Beauty
• Speakers: Julia James Davis
• Duration: 00:09:16

Introduction

This video discusses the decline of Western civilization, using the example of an OnlyFans advertisement billboard in a school zone. The speaker argues that the readily available gratification offered by modern technology and services dulls our senses, hindering our capacity for creativity, achievement, and appreciation of beauty. The core argument connects easy access to instant gratification with a societal decline in virtue and ambition.

Key Takeaways

• The ubiquity of instant gratification: The video highlights how easily accessible pleasures (food delivery, streaming services, online pornography) numb our senses and prevent us from striving for higher goals.
• The role of beauty in achieving transcendence: Drawing on Plato's Symposium, the speaker argues that the pursuit of beauty, in its various forms, can lead to a deeper understanding of the eternal and transcendent.
• The impact of OnlyFans: The speaker uses the example of an OnlyFans billboard in a school zone as a symbol of the decline of Western civilization, arguing that its normalization contributes to the decline of virtue and ambition.
• The problem of consumption, not supply: The speaker contends that the issue lies not in the existence of OnlyFans but in widespread consumerism and its impact on society.
• A call for individual change: The speaker suggests that individual choices and decisions to reject excessive instant gratification are crucial for societal improvement.