Life — February 20, 1908 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The New Plato" Explanation This page presents a philosophical dialogue titled "The New Plato" featuring characters named Socrates and Glaucon discussing economics. The dialogue examines supply-and-demand economics and market principles through Socratic questioning. The accompanying cartoon depicts a tall, thin ostrich-like figure bent over, captioned "I want a pair of pants to fit me, and I want 'em quick—see!" This appears to satirize absurd or unrealistic consumer demands. The satire likely critiques either naive economic thinking or the gap between theoretical economics and practical reality. The Platonic dialogue form parodies philosophical discourse by applying it to mundane commercial transactions, suggesting that economic principles—not value or sentiment—truly govern markets.