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JA1. Greek Philosophers and Democracy

Statement

Classical Greek Philosophy is the bedrock of all Western Philosophy. Renowned thinkers such as Socrates, Aristotle and Plato discussed and debated politics, morality, and psychology among other concepts and their ideas hold relevance even today.

Referring to your readings, answer the following questions:

  • What were the views of Greek Philosophers on democracy?
  • What are your own views on democracy in the modern world?

Answer

The Greek democracy, especially the Athenian democracy, was a unique experience that was superior to all governing systems of the time. Today’s democracy underwent thousands of years of evolution, trial and error, and technological and scientific advancements that shaped modern democracy.

The Greek philosophers, especially Plato and Aristotle, had different views on democracy. Their teacher Socrates was the victim of the Athenian democracy as he questioned some acts that were done at the time which caused the mob-ruled democracy to vote for him to be sentenced to death. Socrates was a vocal critic of democracy as he did not trust the untrained uneducated common people to make the right decisions at hard times (Ivanovski, 2021).

Plato also criticized democracy in his book “The Republic” as he believed that democracy was a flawed system that could lead to tyranny. He believed that giving people more freedom would only make them want more of it, and that would lead to them protesting any action that would limit this freedom, even if it was for the greater good. Plato wrote: “The excess of liberty, whether in States or individuals, seems only to pass into excess of slavery” (Ivanovski, 2021).

Aristotle was less critical of democracy than Plato. He believed that democracy is good but with balanced freedom to the point that such freedom is not too modest or too excessive. He believed democracy is an evolving concept that can be improved by the people themselves and that democratic citizens must receive a democratic education rather than fighting against democracy (Ivanovski, 2021).

In the modern world, democracy is the most popular form of government; representative democracy to be specific. People elect representatives that will debate and make decisions on their behalf. And while the system is based on the principles of equality, freedom, and justice which is the best we have so far. I believe that there the current democratic system is flawed. For example, choosing the wrong representatives due to misinformation or under the effect of their bright campaign is completely legal under the current system; thus, it requires a certain level of education and awareness to choose the right candidate. I believe that the right to vote should be granted based on education and knowledge regardless of race, gender, or any other factors.

The direct democracy that was practiced in Athene allowed every citizen to vote on every decision; this was possible due to the small population and the nature of the issues that were discussed where sometimes feelings or just being convinced by an expert speaker is enough to make a decision. In modern democracies, however, such a system is not practical due to the large population and the advancement in technology, where the representatives need to consult expert committees so that they have enough information to make a decision which also makes the decision-making process slower.

To conclude, Athene’s brightest philosophers did not like the democracy of their time; some had lost lives because of it; some believed it could lead to tyranny; while others called for more balanced freedoms. Modern democracy has evolved throughout the centuries but the advancement in technology and the increased population made representative democracy more suitable; however, modern democracy is still evolving and only time will tell how it will look in the future.

Word Count: 549.

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