... a need for people who understands the life of different classes, thus making it possible to try to serve the interests of different classes without discrimination. However, the above contribution by Plato has got a loophole in the sense that, in a stratified society, people have different ideologies and interests and this will make it difficult for his ideal aristocratic government to come to ... regardless of their class. Therefore democracy as a form of government should not be promoted because those who are elected turn out to be the tyranny to the majority. However, Plato can be crit...

• Word Count: 2661
• Approx Pages: 11
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... a criticism of any given individual within that society; the imperfect character. He has already dealt with the Oligarchic society and character and now moves onto Democracy and the democratic character. Plato states that the Oligarchy, where the ultimate desire is for wealth and character governs emotions without reason, will ultimately collapse and become a Democracy. The lower, drone class are exploited by ... some form of external force to aid their struggle. Therefore, democracy originates when the poor win, kill or exile their opponents, and give the rest equal civil rights and oppo...

• Word Count: 545
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... Athenian democratic government, he disengaged from participating in politics. He strongly felt that neither a moral individual nor a state that is rational could be established in a democratic environment. Plato felt that the common man wasn't intelligent or capable of dealing with concepts that influence the state such as economics, policy of foreign affairs and other relative matters. He viewed ... can include: various college organizations, union members, national communities and any other form of group's that people find a common denominator. For Aristotle Aristotle is more philosoph...

• Word Count: 2280
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... best will eventually fail. There are no signs anywhere else in the Republic of this sort of pessimism about the state. If one looks to Plato's broader philosophy, however, the reason for this is evident. His Just City adheres to the Form of the just, however, it itself is ... seizes control of the Just City and turns it from a justice-loving place into a money-loving place. Lastly, it's worthwhile to briefly look at Plato's scorn for democracy, because it is this, perhaps more than anything else, that stems from his own personal experience. If we recall from the introduction ... death ...

• Word Count: 1089
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... in fact instated the proper formulation of this concept of synchronized, cooperative, and rule abiding society by a means of a structured ruling body. Plato has his theory of a sort of tyranny of the intellectuals, Mills has his theory of happiness and preservation of nature, that should rise ... turn a direct result of a government having promoted these intention (malicious or not). A just dictatorship may sound ludicrous simply by its mere definition, yet Plato went as far as promoting it as a model for a perfectly harmonized society. His idea that philosophy was the path to a sort of ...

• Word Count: 527
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Virtu Like most Western philosophers, Niccolo Machiavelli's ideas were heavily influenced by the early Greek philosophers. Most notable among the Greek philosophers who inspired Machiavelli was Plato. In particular, Machiavelli took interest in Plato's concept of just rulers who ruled by moral virtue. Machiavelli argued against this Platonic philosophy. He believed in "virtu", whatever was best for the State was virtu. This is ... its citizens from attacks by other states. The ruler, therefore, is justified in doing whatever is necessary to maintain the country, even if it is unjust. On the o...

• Word Count: 4508
• Approx Pages: 18
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

In Plato's Republic, Socrates defines a democracy though the discussion of six important characteristics. The freedom of speech, and license to do what ever they may desire, allows for individuals of a democracy to ... share in ruling under the constitution, and for the most part assigning people to positions of rule by lot," there is no requirement to rule or to be ruled (557a). Plato's Socrates also finds it important for there to be sophistication among the people in the city -- this is perhaps a plug for Socrates, as ... Plato found him to be admirably calm as he faced his eminent deat...

• Word Count: 893
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... point of argument is that direct form of democracy can be more democratic than the representative form in so doing will focus on the REPRESENTATION and DECISION MAKING process. Representation Plato argued in his book The Republic, that government be placed in the hand class of philosophers, kings. Heywood 2001. With all due respect to ... Plato, this creates a form of elitism in a situation where every man was suppose to be equal even in the 19th century. Talking about the 21st century there is no longer much ... ...

• Word Count: 1556
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... there is more social justice then there is more democracy and vice-versa. There are many theories for social justice and many different view points that are discussed throughout history. Plato believed in Classical Conservation, that justice in our society has a "natural order" of things and in his book, The Republic, he goes into detail about how just like ... ...

• Word Count: 821
• Approx Pages: 3
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... property by a revolutionary movement; responsibility for meeting public needs is then vested in the state (Daniels 177). As a concept of an ideal society, communism is derived from ancient sources, including Plato's Republic and the earliest Christian communes. In the early 19th century, the idea of a communist society was a response of the poor and the dislocated to the beginnings of modern capitalism ... ...

• Word Count: 2983
• Approx Pages: 12
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... ) Herodotus notes many acts of sexual freedom among tyrants in his works. Periander had relations with his deceased wife while Cambyses participated in incest with his own sister. The philosopher Plato records such acts of sexual freedom when he writes of the tyrant, Gyges, who wore a magical ring. The ring provided him with the power "to take without fear whatever he ... ...

• Word Count: 3536
• Approx Pages: 14
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... property by a revolutionary movement; responsibility for meeting public needs is then vested in the state (Daniels 177). As a concept of an ideal society, communism is derived from ancient sources, including Plato's Republic and the earliest Christian communes. In the early 19th century, the idea of a communist society was a response of the poor and the dislocated to the beginnings of modern capitalism ... ...

• Word Count: 6851
• Approx Pages: 27
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... john Stuart Mill, he believes that democracy protects the freedom of self-determination better than any alternative political system that has ever been devised. Another important factor is moral autonomy. Plato's Republic pointed this out nearly 2000 years ago and states that if you are to make your own rules, you will be less likely to break them. It is perhaps ... ...

• Word Count: 3450
• Approx Pages: 14
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... a republic grants the power to a select group chosen to represent the people. In a democracy the "majority rules" - and the minority loses. This system is subject to abuse however, because as Plato said "A democracy is a state in which the poor gaining the upper hand, kill some and banish others, and then divide the offices among the remaining citizens equally." This is to ... ...

• Word Count: 2452
• Approx Pages: 10
• Grade Level: Undergraduate