In book eight of The Republic, Socrates offers his thoughts on Democracy, and whether or not this form of government aids in fostering a successful state. He ultimately concludes that Democracy contains too many flaws, yet the qualities he admires compel him to stay faithful to Athens. Despite declaring Democracy as the “second worst” form of government, Socrates specifically liked its (Democracy) inherent qualities of diversity and freedom of speech. These two qualities are rare in the other governments that he describes, so they draw Socrates’ intrigue. Overall, the qualities that Socrates does not appreciate outweigh the good. Mainly he disagrees with the unrestrained freedom that citizens have and the idea that everyone is completely equal.
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This lack of harmony stems from the large amount of freedom granted to citizens. Illustrating the lack of harmony Socrates claims, “Nor is obedience to authority required unless one chooses to submit. No one is compelled to go to war when the others are making war, nor to keep peace when the others have concluded peace” (249). With an abundance of freedom people have the right to choose their own path, and even if the majority of people initiate an action, an individual or group of people have no requirement to accept it. For Socrates this is a large issue because without order and harmony, a society has a low chance to flourish. In his ideal society people perform specific roles and act in unison even if some disagree. To him it appears that individuals in a democracy can essentially do anything they so choose without any …show more content…
In order to have a successful city, Socrates thought that people needed discipline and an understanding of the roles in society. The absence of discipline is also a product of unreserved freedom like many other characteristics Socrates associates with the Democratic state. The ability to do whatever one illustrates a lack of discipline and also creates disunity. Socrates refers to the lack of discipline and harmony exhibited by the Democratic man in saying, “One day he is drinking heavily and listening to the flute; on the next he is dieting and drinks only water. Then he tries some exercise, only to lapse into idleness and lethargy” (253). The Democratic man tries to do too much instead of focusing on one thing and does whatever appeals to him at any moment. This again contradicts Socrates, who said a man should focus on “an occupation best suited to his nature and was expected to pursue that occupation all his days” (70). A man should do what he is best at and not try anything else. Trying something else causes distraction and diminishes a man’s ability to perform his role. By trying many different things, the democratic man displays his lack of discipline and ineffectiveness towards the well being of
This lack of harmony stems from the large amount of freedom granted to citizens. Illustrating the lack of harmony Socrates claims, “Nor is obedience to authority required unless one chooses to submit. No one is compelled to go to war when the others are making war, nor to keep peace when the others have concluded peace” (249). With an abundance of freedom people have the right to choose their own path, and even if the majority of people initiate an action, an individual or group of people have no requirement to accept it. For Socrates this is a large issue because without order and harmony, a society has a low chance to flourish. In his ideal society people perform specific roles and act in unison even if some disagree. To him it appears that individuals in a democracy can essentially do anything they so choose without any …show more content…
In order to have a successful city, Socrates thought that people needed discipline and an understanding of the roles in society. The absence of discipline is also a product of unreserved freedom like many other characteristics Socrates associates with the Democratic state. The ability to do whatever one illustrates a lack of discipline and also creates disunity. Socrates refers to the lack of discipline and harmony exhibited by the Democratic man in saying, “One day he is drinking heavily and listening to the flute; on the next he is dieting and drinks only water. Then he tries some exercise, only to lapse into idleness and lethargy” (253). The Democratic man tries to do too much instead of focusing on one thing and does whatever appeals to him at any moment. This again contradicts Socrates, who said a man should focus on “an occupation best suited to his nature and was expected to pursue that occupation all his days” (70). A man should do what he is best at and not try anything else. Trying something else causes distraction and diminishes a man’s ability to perform his role. By trying many different things, the democratic man displays his lack of discipline and ineffectiveness towards the well being of