Socrates's View Of Democracy

Socrates’ charge against democracy was based on his fundamental belief that people are not equal. His idea of the perfect city is described as a three tiered system of rulers, guardians, and artisans; all whom know their place inside and outside of politics. The rulers create the constitution, and everyone else is expected to live by it. Discordantly, democracy is based on the ideas of equality, individuality, tolerance, and freedom. In the democratic city anyone can participate in the government, and the leaders are chosen by lot. There are no pre-determined laws and individuals can enter into a kind of “supermarket of constitutions, pick out whatever pleases him, and establish it (557d)” as their own private order. Citizens are all but
The drones are those with the largest voice in the democratic city, they “do all the talking and acting… this class manages everything (235d).” They stir up dissention by deceiving the working class and accusing the wealthy of “plotting against the people (565b).” They leave the wealthy with no other choice but to act like oligarchs, thus resulting in another kind of civil war plagued with impeachments, judgements, and
They do not feel the need to participate in public service, and the majority of American’s do not even vote. Thus, it is extremely easy for the drones to deceive the working class for their own agenda. Furthermore, the high wealthy-middle-class voting turnout from this past election could also be attributed to this deceit, and could be described as the wealthy acting like Oligarchs. Accordingly, the next step would include “impeachments, trials, and judgements (565c).” Today, people are already talking of impeaching the president, hundreds of thousands of people are participating in the “Not My President” protests, and several of President Trump’s decisions have been brought to court. If Socrates is correct, the next step in American democracy is a shift to tyranny.
Despite all that is happening today in American democracy, I cannot conclude that democracy itself is corrupt. Socrates was strongly opposed to equality, and stressed the belief that some men were worth more than others. He was okay with killing people for the sake of the city, and his Kallipolas could only work by deceiving the citizens through “The Noble Lie.” I do not think it was a coincidence that his city was ruled by the Philosophers, making him part of the