Democracy

Democracy

The word democracy literally means "the government of the people" (demos). Plato, of course, is using the

term to refer to the democracy of Athens, a small city-state where every adult male citizen was a member

of the Assembly, and so had a voice in governmental policy. But in Athens more than half of the

population were slaves or foreign residents, neither of whom had any civic rights. Hence, the defects that

Plato sees in Athenian democracy are probably not the same ones he would find in such modern-day

democracies as the United States or France.

The transition from oligarchy to democracy results from the ever-growing conflict between the rich and

the poor, which finally erupts into a civil war. The wealthy rulers of the oligarchy weaken themselves by

their failure to check the economic extremes in the state. They become increasingly degenerate. Soon the

poor masses find an opportunity to overthrow the soft, undisciplined rulers.

A democracy comes to be when the poor have gained control of the government. The poor execute or

exile the oligarchs and grant the remaining citizens an equal share in policy-making and office-holding.

Liberty and freedom of speech become the rule of the time. Each person may do as he pleases.

Socrates describes a democracy as a "bazaar of constitutions," a place where each man can select the

type of life that pleases him. No one is forced to hold office, to serve in the military, to obey...

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appears to view democracy as advantageous to individuals. After all, if you want to devote your

life to philosophical pursuits, in a democracy you can do so.

Some scholars suggest that Plato, rather than being antagonistic toward democracy, is actually

defending democracy from its enemies- potential tyrants (powerful rulers unlimited by the laws of

the people or by any constitution). What do you think? Do you think that Plato makes democracy

the third kind of degeneracy because he wants to warn Athenians that their government can, in the

blink of an eye, be turned into a tyranny? In other words, is he employing shock tactics to alert the

people of Athens to the danger they are in of losing their freedom?