Plato’s point of view appeared to me as a more appealing out of the two presented opinions on the best course for a political regime within a country. His arguments against democracy provide a logical conclusion that a person whose actions and decisions affect the lives of many must be exceptionally well trained for this position (“Democracy’s Harshest Critic – Plato”). Plato’s arguments against Athenian democracy reveal severe flaws in the system that call for a different form of government, such as Plato’s republic. It is possible to analyze how Plato came to this conclusion by looking at the society of that period.
Democratic ideas were prevalent in Ancient Greece, although there were two major views on political affairs within the country. The community within Athens was built on democracy, where every man had equal power in political matters (Goldhill). This notion was not a right but more of a duty for every citizen, where their participation in politics was mandatory (Goldhill). However, it was also a place where privacy was nonexistent, and democracy was a primary responsibility for Athenians (Goldhill). Plato was not convinced that such distribution of power was in any way reasonable. Harper states that Plato saw how “democracy is no guarantee of justice,” and the ruling of the masses was not an ideal choice (2:00). Instead, his perfect ruler was an expert in politics who was trained from a young age to become a leader of a nation, as Spartans did with their youth (Harper 3:01). The lack of vision that was guaranteed under the rule of those who are unfit to rule is detrimental.
There are issues with Pluto’s proposition that are worth noting. For example, Thucydides argues that some people might be “kept in political obscurity because of poverty” and other reasons that diminish their worth in the eyes of a ruler. This notion can be detrimental to society, which will end up divided into vastly different classes. However, Plato’s system specifically focuses on giving power to those who possess the knowledge on how to govern the masses (“Democracy’s Harshest Critic – Plato”). This fact implies that the person in charge must be able to prevent such issues from ever occurring.
References
“Democracy’s Harshest Critic – Plato.” n.d.
Goldhill, Simon. “Of the People, By The People.” Mysteries of History: The Ancient World, 2004.
Harper, Kyle. “Law and Justice – Plato’s Republic – 7.3 Introducing Plato’s Republic.”YouTube, Janux, 2014. Web.
Thucydides. “Funeral Oration of Pericles.” History of the Peloponnesian War, vol. 2, translated by Rex Warner, 1982, 36-41.