[awillen]

Realistically, the next great sociologist and philosopher is going to be an academic, and the amount of spaces for academics in those fields is so vanishingly small that if you went to a third-tier university, you're almost entirely unlikely to get one. If you went to Stanford/Harvard/etc., maybe, but still not great odds.

It's like saying that you're discouraging the next lottery winner by telling people that playing the lottery is a bad investment.

[brighton36]

That probably has more to do with 'greatness' as a product of the publishing system. (Meaning: it's great because it's published in a prestigious medium, not because the content is inherently superior) The next plato will likely be completely uncelebrated in these mediums, and will publish on an uncelebrated website or publisher.

[smm2000]

To be fair, first Plato was born in aristocratic family and got best education possible at the time with private tutors. He definitely did not go to equivalent of 3rd tier university.

[brighton36]

I didn't know that. But, I'm not surprised. It's entirely possible that Ted Kaczynski is the plato we're looking for.