Table of Contents
What did Plato believe about democracy?
Plato believes that the democratic man is more concerned with his money over how he can help the people. He does whatever he wants whenever he wants to do it. His life has no order or priority. Plato does not believe that democracy is the best form of government.
Why was Socrates critical of Athenian democracy?
Socrates often criticized Athenian democracy. He especially criticized it for the selfish individuals who gained power and wealth by using speech-making tricks and flattery to gain the support of citizens. Much of his criticism took place during the 27-year Peloponnesian War between Athens and its great rival, Sparta.
Why Was Socrates a threat to democracy?
The danger posed by Socrates The fact that Socrates saw his piety as the genuine article, and the unreflective virtue of his fellow citizens as false virtue, indicates that he took the entire religious life of Athens, no less than its political life, to be unworthy of a good man.
Who thought of democracy?
Under Cleisthenes, what is generally held as the first example of a type of democracy in 508–507 BC was established in Athens. Cleisthenes is referred to as “the father of Athenian democracy”.
Who invented the democracy?
ancient Greeks
The ancient Greeks were the first to create a democracy. The word “democracy” comes from two Greek words that mean people (demos) and rule (kratos).
How does Plato criticize democracy?
In the Republic, Plato’s Socrates raises a number of objections to democracy. He claims that democracy is a danger due to excessive freedom. He also claims that democracies have leaders without proper skills or morals and that it is quite unlikely that the best equipped to rule will come to power.
What did Socrates believe about democracy?
Socrates rejected the democracies of his time, because he viewed them as a sort of mob rule – a system that follows citizens’ misguided impulses rather than pursuing the common good in a rational manner. Socrates argues that society won’t work until philosophers become leaders or our leaders become philosophers.
Why is democracy a democracy?
Democracy is a form of government in which: Rulers elected by the people take all the major decisions; This choice and opportunity is available to all the people on an equal basis; and. The exercise of this choice leads to a government limited by basic rules of the constitution and citizens’ rights.
Was Sparta a democracy?
The most prominent Greek oligarchy, and the state with which democratic Athens is most often and most fruitfully compared, was Sparta. Yet Sparta, in its rejection of private wealth as a primary social differentiator, was a peculiar kind of oligarchy and some scholars note its resemblance to democracy.
Where was democracy born?
Athens
The first known democracy in the world was in Athens. Athenian democracy developed around the fifth century B.C.E. The Greek idea of democracy was different from present-day democracy because, in Athens, all adult citizens were required to take an active part in the government.