Democracy Outlined by Plato and Aristotle Essay - 914 Words

In the fifth-century BC, Athens emerged as one of the most advanced state or polis in all of Greece. This formation of Athenian ‘democracy’ holds the main principle that citizens should enjoy political equality in order to be free to rule and be ruled in turn. The word ‘democracy’ originates from the Greek words demos (meaning people) and kratos (meaning power) therefore demokratia means â€Å"the power of the people.† The famous funeral speech of Pericles states that â€Å"Our constitution is called democracy because power is in the hands not of a minority but of the whole people.† However, only citizens (free adult men of Athenian descent) could participate in political matters. Women and slaves held no political rights, although they were†¦show more content†¦In short, it outlines the problem that there can be no correct leadership in a democracy. The leader elected by the people must act accordingly to secure and maintain his pos ition, as a result the leader cannot act in the best interest of the society, only in the interests of the ‘mob.’ Secondly, Plato argues that within a democracy there will always be factions or a group of people that believe they are right, these factions gain power and support through their wealth and property. This problem creates conflicts and a breakdown of society which Plato believes could lead to civil war. Thirdly, Plato suggests that a proper society maintains itself by stability and authority. Stability is maintained by looking towards the future rather than short term, when authority is lost the people lose sight of what is best for them, thus losing stability. Finally, considering points two and three Plato argues that with a breakdown of authority and stability combined with factions, this would result in violence creating the inevitability of civil war. As a consequence, tyranny is formed to end violence in the interest of the many for the power of the on e. These four problems present the inevitability that democracy is destined for ruin. Plato in the Republic writes about a new form of society which would be based upon the good of everyone, whereby those who are most able should rule. Plato states that Unless, said I,Show MoreRelated Foundations of Political Thought Essays1664 Words   |  7 PagesAristotle and Socrates and Plato’s beliefs have similarities mainly evident in their denouncement of democracy for the state. The views of Socrates expressed and written by his pupil Plato are vastly philosophical in nature and he promotes the idea of questioning life to achieve insight. The philosophers who possess the absolute truth are the best equipped to rule society according to Plato and his Allegory of the Cave. 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EJERE DEPT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCE UNIVERSITY OF UYO, UYO AKWA IBOM STATE MAY, 2012 A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF PLATO AND ARISTOTLES POLITICAL THOUGHT In order to compare these great philosophers, it isRead More Aristotle and the Techne of Rhetoric Essay1447 Words   |  6 PagesAristotle and the Techne of Rhetoric Between the third and fifth centuries B.C. there existed a â€Å"golden and classical age† of thought in the ancient world, with the majority of this activity centered in the polis of Athens, Greece. Although the city is historically recognized for its legendary conflict with rival polis Sparta, Athens is perhaps best known for the creation of democracy—that noble political experiment that laid the preliminary structure for most of the rights we AmericansRead MorePlato s Ideal State1919 Words   |  8 PagesCHAPTER III. 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Even if there were other civilizations that were more established and advanced than the Greeks, they had produced â€Å"vast literatures on every human practice, as well as speculations about the origins of life and the formation of the universe†. But, tracing back to ancient Greek philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle, is the tradition of politicalRead Moreontemporary Thinkers: Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Aguinas Essay6220 Words   |  25 Pages Contemporary Thinkers: Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Aguinas Question #1 : Please discuss the political organization of the Greek city- states, particularly Athenian democracy at the time of Pericles, Plato, and Aristotle. Also discuss the backgrounds of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle and the fate of the Greek city-states historically. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;During the time of Pericles, Plato, and Aristotle, Greece was divided into city-states with a wide variety of constitutions, rangingRead MoreThucydides and The Civil War at Corcyra2013 Words   |  9 Pagesparty. Aristotle describes these political parties by saying â€Å"these parties you see, were not formed under existing laws for the good, but for avarice in violation of established law. And the oaths they swore to each other had their authority not so much by divine law, as by there being partners in breaking law† (3.82). Another venal motivation behind the civil war was the financial issues between the two parties. Although the Democrats falsely accuse the Oligarchs of threatening democracy, there