Introduction
Plato’s Republic references multiple topics about politics and discusses how they can potentially improve people’s lives. This fundamental work by Plato presents arguments for justice in society; however, many experts criticize it for being anti-democratic. They mention that Plato’s narrative supports the idea that democracy is worse than timarchy and oligarchy. However, the examined work by Mason Marshall presents a neutral opinion on the topic, providing proof for two opposing perspectives. Ultimately, the article by Marshall examines the existing arguments for democracy in Republic and claims that experts do not have sufficient evidence to draw definitive conclusions.
Discussion
The primary argument that democracy is worse than timarchy and oligarchy derives directly from the text of Republic, where Socrates agrees that only tyranny is worse than democracy. However, as Marshall notes, Socrates praises the primary principles of democratic freedoms and human rights. In other words, Socrates believes that freedom in itself is a virtue but fears that people with unrestricted freedom might demonstrate dangerous and unproductive behavior (Marshall 4).
Another argument is that philosophers have better lives under democracy than under stricter regimes because of the associated freedoms. This perspective is a contradicting point, and Marshall explains why philosophers, in fact, do not have better lives under democracy (Marshall 6). In a hypothetical situation, he states that people with equal rights might vote for the philosopher’s execution, and the court will have to agree due to the majority rule of democracy. This example contradicts Socrates’ thesis that philosophers might have better lives under democracy.
Conclusion
After examining the arguments, Mason Marshall summarizes that it is simply impossible to draw a definitive conclusion about whether Plato’s Republic is anti-democratic or not. The main argument about the usefulness of philosophers in Republic does not answer this question, and experts must make educated guesses about Socrates’ true intentions concerning democracy. Marshall does not provide a subjective opinion on the topic, but he firmly believes that this discussion lacks vital information and will only lead to an impasse.
Work Cited
Marshall, Mason. “Democracy in Plato’s Republic: How Bad is it Supposed to Be?” The Society for Ancient Greek Philosophy Newsletter, vol. 348, 2009, pp. 1-9.