Plato's Criticism of Democracy Essay

In the Crito (and the Apology), Socrates was sentenced to death by vote – and historically speaking the city of Athens was governed by democracy. However, as we have seen from the Republic, Plato advocated for aristocracy. Socrates insisted that it would not be just to escape jail because he had entered into an implicit agreement with the city. Based on Socrates’ argument(s), do you think he supports a democratic state? Is there any discrepancy between Socrates and Plato’s definition of justice?

Those who didn’t like democracy were mainly rich nobles who were most likely afraid of losing power and influence over the people. Or, as Document 6 gives insight to, they were unhappy during the Peloponnesian War. Document 6 states, “‘Nothing could be found better than the one man, the best man in governance,’” (Document 6). It comes from Herodotus in 415 BC, and he shows a strong preference to a sole ruler, rather than the many people that share power during a democracy, along with Document 11. Document 11 is important to include because it is not only from the Golden Age, but it was also in the heart of the Peloponnesian War. It could be due to it being in the middle of the Peloponnesian War, or it could not, but the timing of it does seem to mean Herodotus, and possibly others, disliked the democracy of Athens because they were in the middle of a civil war that they ultimately lost. Others merely criticized the democracy and its freedoms, as Isocrates, the author of document 3. Document 7 is similar, as its author clearly shows their displeasure towards the people that are not nobles having the ability to influence the government. As it is well supported through several documents, it is clear that not all Athenians were happy with a democratic

Socrates, a critic of Athenian society, is also known as a critic of democracy. “Athens is a democracy, a city in which the many are the dominant power in politics, and it can therefore be expected to have all the vices of the many” (“Socrates’ criticism of democracy,” Encyclopedia Britannica). Socrates claims that he did not want to take part in government because he feared imprisonment or death, which eventually became his fate. Socrates’ problem with democracy was his concern with the citizens who run the

Socrates believes that democracy is the second worst type of government. Democracy is having “…complete freedom and dignity.”(p.261 C5) and “…no notice of the law.” (p.261 D5) It is the avoidance of anyone’s control. Those in democracy are motivated simply by pleasure that accompanied freedom and dignity. There is an analogy in the

In The Republic of Plato, Plato, in addition to sharing his views on justice, shares his views on democracy using a fictionalized Socrates to outline the most pressing issues. Plato’s views on democracy are negative; he believes democracy to be bred from a response to inequality of wealth and to heighten all of humanities worst traits. Plato believes democracy leads to unequipped leaders who hold offices and power without the necessary traits and preparation.

Socrates’, Plato’s, and Aristotle’s main criticisms of democracy were based on both theory and precedents. Whereas Plato and Aristotle believed that democracy could lead to mob rule in part due to group-think based on a population’s impulses, Socrates advocated that governance should not be solicited based on the citizenry’s desires at any given time. Aristotle advocated that democracy was indeed the best form of government, or better said he believed democracy to be lesser of the forms of government. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle all believed that only the wisest should govern because those governed might squander resources and wealth, make decisions based on emotion, and revolt due to a perceived or real notion of inequality.

While everyone has their own opinion, and is more than entitled to share it, other’s beliefs and thoughts influence most people. Politics and opinions of leaders on the way in which a country must govern are often easy portals to access an impressionable mind. Throughout history, those with opposing viewpoints on democracy have often spoke up and shared their opinions with the world in hopes of being heard. Aristotle, Pericles and Xenophon have each taken a turn in doing so, and made their feelings obvious to the people. All opinions were very different; Aristotle's being more of an open-minded approach towards democracy (not completely dismissing the idea of it), Pericles' being in total agreement with it, and Xenophon being sarcastic and exceptionally opposed.

Discuss the Athenian definition of democracy. Is the city state the only kind of state in which true democracy can exist? What happens to democracy when it is applied to a society with a large dispersed population? What are other examples of democratic societies besides Athens? Compare and contrast Athenian democracy with American democracy. Is the United States a democracy in the classical sense of the word?

It is clear that Plato’s opposed the concept of democracy. In fact he ‘ranks both timocracy and oligarchy as favourable to democracy and maintains that only tyranny is a less preferable form of government’ (Plato 1955 ). John Wild believed “The most serious charge against Plato from a modern point of view is that he is an enemy of democracy.” (Thorson 1963) In his book “the republic” he describes what he perceives to be the ideal state, in so doing he lays out his criticisms of the Athenian democracy. His criticisms are as follows : inherent class tension, the pillars of equality and liberty and the ability of normal people to rule justly.

Citizens of a city-state believe that the political institutions alone do not constitute the basis in the manner of their voting but also the information they are able gain. The Athenians simply assumed that political truth was dialectical: Vigorous debate by patriotic citizens, judged by the mass of citizens, could provide a reasonable policy for the polis (Ober, 2008). Reason is not solely the faculty they utilize with their manner of choosing a ruler. Democracy, in a Thucydidean sense, is based on actuality where the citizens abide the rules implemented as exemplified in his Book. Whereby, all male citizens had equal political rights, freedom of speech, and the opportunity to participate directly in the political arena (Cartwright, 2014). Thucydides, himself, is not in favor of democracy. Hobbes, for example, wrote that reading Thucydides proved to him that “democracy was strong and one man was far wiser than a throng” (Pope, 1988). However, he praised Athenian democracy over Spartan oligarchy due to the former’s intelligent general, Pericles. Under a strong leadership, Athenian democracy was able to maintain their stability because the people submits themselves voluntarily without restrictions. Furthermore, Thucydides noted the assembly as they voted depose the rule of Four Hundred and entrust their

The Reason Why Socrates Was against Democracy According to Plato dialogues, Socrates was a real pessimist when it came to democracy. In his work Republic, Socrates discusses his ideas about the ideal society. His ideal society consists of the rule a philosopher kings, restriction of the freedom of movement, a class of guardian soldiers and censorship according to moralistic virtues.

In the world today, society face injustice, inequality, and chaotic encounters more so now than ever. We live in a world where it is thought to be that citizens have a say in governing our country, but do we really? Citizens have no power, we are basically under the rule and control of what the individual with the title the President of the United States, the Chief of State says. In regards to Plato’s idea and goal of seeing that America has real justice and peace under the rule of a wise, informed individual not a narcissist or one obsessed with power, I agree with Plato’s view because our country is ran based on the President’s own personal thoughts and belief based on what policies and rules he thinks is best for the people but in reality

Plato’s Republic doesn’t shy from heavily totalitarian-associated values: censorship, “noble lies,” and elite rule to name a few. Scholars and political theorists alike have been quick to criticize him for these politics, claiming The Republic to be a blueprint for these especially conservative views. However, it can just as well be argued that those who insist that Plato’s work be in support of totalitarianism don’t fully grasp many of the concepts Socrates lays out in defense of democracy. In these contrasting interpretations, Plato can be pulled both ways. Still, it would be easier to find a sort of compromise in interpreting The Republic; although it is that Plato lays out his ideas much in favor of a totalitarian regime, he just as well articulates his arguments in a contrastingly democratic way. How he portrays his ideas depends on the well being of the people; even if through totalitarian means, Plato’s focus in governing is on the governed as opposed to those governing.

Democracy during Plato and Aristotle’s time was different, a thousand years ago in ancient Athens, not everybody who lived in Athens could participate in the democracy, only male people older than 18 had that prerogative. Women, children, and slaves were not considered citizens, and thus could not participate in politics or vote “Ancient democracy was a democracy of the patriarchs; women had no political right and their civic right were strictly limited.” This essay is an explanation of democracy in Plato’s ‘Republic’ and Aristotle ‘Politics’, including comparative valuation of the two books about

But no otherDialogue of Plato has the same largeness of view and the sameperfection of style; no other shows an equal knowledge of the world,or contains more of those thoughts which are new as well as old, andnot of one age only but of all. Nowhere in Plato is there a deeperirony or a greater wealth of humor or imagery, or more dramatic power.Nor in any other of his writings is the attempt made to interweavelife and speculation, or to connect politics with philosophy. TheRepublic is the centre around which the other Dialogues may be grouped; here philosophy reaches the highest point to which ancientthinkers ever attained. Plato among the Greeks, like Bacon among themoderns, was the first who conceived a method of knowledge, althoughneither of them always distinguished the bare outline or form from thesubstance of truth; and both of them had to be content with anabstraction of science which was not yet realized. He was the greatestmetaphysical genius whom the world has seen; and in him, more thanin any other ancient thinker, the germs of future knowledge arecontained. The sciences of logic and psychology, which have suppliedso many instruments of thought to after-ages, are based upon theanalyses of Socrates and Plato. The principles of definition, thelaw of contradiction, the fallacy of arguing in a circle, the distinction between the essence and accidents of a thing or notion,between means and ends, between causes and conditions; also thedivision