Athenian Democracy

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Ancient Greece’s politics during the time of Socrates’ life [469BC – 399BC] was one that is similar to politics in the United States today. It was one of democracy, where the people ruled the state, where citizens were able to vote on policies to be implemented, and retained certain rights. Democracy is seen as one of the ultimate ideals that modern civilizations strive to create or preserve. It is a system of governance that is supposed to allow extensive representation and include as many people and views as possible to make for a better society. The main democratic principals are ones that strive for universal freedoms, such as the freedom of speech. Though the democracy we see in Ancient Greece had positive attributes it was also faced …show more content…

This statement assumes that all humans are not all of equal value and worth. Some people are better than others and only the highest life is a life worth living, one where a human is enlightened. Socrates does not have the answer as to how this highest form of living is attained, probably because he knows what he does not know and since he has yet to attain such a life he is unable to describe it. Another problem Socrates has with the Athenian Government is not that it is bad, but that it doesn’t take the steps to find out what is good. Socrates likens himself to a gadfly stinging a lazy horse that is the Athenian state; he is the one that is trying to take steps in the direction of good by questioning, but the state is silencing him. Without philosophic inquiry humans are the sleeping horse with no idea what living might really be about. The philosopher is a Gadfly that is stinging the horse, trying to help show the public what it means to really be alive. However, lovers of democracy and freedom do not like to be told that one way of life is better than another. They simply follow the impulse of passions. Is following ones passions really what makes a human free if he never gives serious thought on how a human ought to live? Or if this human never gives thought of the culture and political life of which he was brought into? How is this freedom if there is never any questioning and thinking about what exactly is going on? These questions are the underlying factors behind why Socrates believes the unexamined life is not worth living. For if you don’t examine the state in which you heir wouldn’t that just make you a slave to your state instead of a free man within

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