What does Socrates think of democracy?

Socrates is portrayed as highly pessimistic about democracy, believing that voting is a skill that needs education.

How does Socrates illustrate his point about voting?

He compares society to a ship and questions why just anyone should decide who governs, likening it to putting untrained people in charge of navigating a vessel.

What tragic event occurred to Socrates in 399 BC?

Socrates was put on trial for corrupting the youth and was executed by hemlock.

Did Socrates believe only the elite should vote?

No, he believed all should have the opportunity to vote, but only those who have truly contemplated issues should be allowed to do so.

What warning does Socrates give about demagoguery?

He warns that uninformed voters can easily be swayed by charismatic but superficial candidates, leading to poor governance.

What lesson does the text draw from Socrates's views?

Democracy's effectiveness depends on the education system and the intellectual capacity of the electorate.

Why Socrates Hated Democracy

00:04:21

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLJBzhcSWTk

Summary

TLDRThe text explores Socrates's critical views on democracy as described by Plato. Socrates believed that voting requires skill and education, likening the election process to navigating a ship. He experienced the consequences of an uneducated electorate firsthand when he was executed after being found guilty by voters. Socrates argued against demagoguery, discussing how charismatic candidates could mislead voters, contrasting them with those who genuinely seek to help the public. The text concludes that democracy's success is ultimately linked to the quality of education the electorate receives.

Takeaways

🛳️ Socrates likens society to a ship, emphasizing the need for educated rulers.
📚 Voting is a skill that requires systematic education.
⚖️ Socrates was executed by a jury of Athenians, highlighting the dangers of uninformed votes.
🌊 He believed that letting uneducated citizens vote is irresponsible.
😞 Socrates's concerns foreshadow the rise of demagoguery in politics.
🍭 Socrates compared charismatic candidates to sweet shop owners who offer easy solutions.
⚗️ The effectiveness of democracy relates to the quality of the education system.
👨‍⚕️ Socrates advocates for informed voting to avoid poor governance.
🏛️ The Athenian experience serves as a warning against unqualified decision-making.
🚫 We must remember Socrates’s critique to prevent electing demagogues.

Timeline

00:00:00 - 00:04:21
This excerpt critically examines the duality of democracy and philosophy in Ancient Greece, especially through the lens of Socrates as depicted by Plato. It highlights Socrates' skepticism regarding unqualified citizens participating in governance, likening the selection of a ruler to choosing a captain for a ship, emphasizing the necessity of knowledge and skills in voting. Socrates' trial and execution underscore the dangers of uninformed voting, leading to demagoguery, exemplified by figures like Alcibiades. The text argues that contemporary society has neglected Socratic insights and the essential link between voting rights and wisdom, resulting in the election of charismatic leaders over knowledgeable ones.

Mind Map

Video Q&A

What does Socrates think of democracy?
Socrates is portrayed as highly pessimistic about democracy, believing that voting is a skill that needs education.
How does Socrates illustrate his point about voting?
He compares society to a ship and questions why just anyone should decide who governs, likening it to putting untrained people in charge of navigating a vessel.
What tragic event occurred to Socrates in 399 BC?
Socrates was put on trial for corrupting the youth and was executed by hemlock.
Did Socrates believe only the elite should vote?
No, he believed all should have the opportunity to vote, but only those who have truly contemplated issues should be allowed to do so.
What warning does Socrates give about demagoguery?
He warns that uninformed voters can easily be swayed by charismatic but superficial candidates, leading to poor governance.
What lesson does the text draw from Socrates's views?
Democracy's effectiveness depends on the education system and the intellectual capacity of the electorate.

View more video summaries

Get instant access to free YouTube video summaries powered by AI!

Subtitles

Auto Scroll:

00:00:08
We are used to thinking very highly of democracy – and by extension, of Ancient Athens, the
00:00:14
civilisation that gave rise to it. The Parthenon has become almost a byword for democratic
00:00:19
values, which is why so many leaders of democracies like to be photographed there.
00:00:25
It’s therefore very striking to discover that one of Ancient Greece’s great achievements,
00:00:29
Philosophy, was highly suspicious of its other achievement, Democracy.
00:00:34
The founding father of Greek Philosophy – Socrates – is portrayed, in the dialogues of Plato, as hugely pessimistic
00:00:41
about the whole business of democracy. In Book Six of The Republic, Plato describes
00:00:46
Socrates falling into conversation with a character called Adeimantus and trying to
00:00:51
get him to see the flaws of democracy by comparing a society to a ship. If you were heading out
00:00:57
on a journey by sea, asks Socrates, who would you ideally want deciding who was in charge
00:01:02
of the vessel? Just anyone or people educated in the rules and demands of seafaring? The
00:01:08
latter of course, says Adeimantus, so why then, responds Socrates, do we keep thinking
00:01:13
that any old person should be fit to judge who should be a ruler of a country? Socrates’s
00:01:19
point is that voting in an election is a skill, not a random intuition. And like any skill,
00:01:25
it needs to be taught systematically to people. Letting the citizenry vote without an education
00:01:30
is as irresponsible as putting them in charge of a trireme sailing to Samos in a storm.
00:01:36
Socrates was to have first hand, catastrophic experience of the foolishness of voters. In
00:01:42
399 BC, the philosopher was put on trial on trumped up charges of corrupting the youth
00:01:47
of Athens. A jury of 500 Athenians was invited to weigh up the case and decided by a narrow
00:01:53
margin that the philosopher was guilty. He was put to death by hemlock in a process which
00:01:58
is, for thinking people, every bit as tragic as Jesus’s condemnation has been for Christians.
00:02:04
Crucially, Socrates was not elitist in the normal sense. He didn’t believe that a narrow
00:02:10
few should only ever vote. He did, however, insist that only those who had thought about
00:02:15
issues rationally and deeply should be let near a vote. We have forgotten this distinction
00:02:21
between an intellectual democracy and a democracy by birthright. We have given the vote to all
00:02:27
without connecting it to wisdom. And Socrates knew exactly where that would lead:
00:02:32
to a system the Greeks feared above all, demagoguery.
00:02:37
Ancient Athens had painful experience of demagogues, for example, the louche figure of Alcibiades,
00:02:43
a rich, charismatic, smooth-talking wealthy man who eroded basic freedoms and helped to
00:02:48
push Athens to its disastrous military adventures in Sicily. Socrates knew how easily people
00:02:53
seeking election could exploit our desire for easy answers. He asked us to imagine an
00:02:58
election debate between two candidates, one who was like a doctor and the other who was
00:03:03
like a sweet shop owner. The sweet shop owner would say of his rival: Look, this person
00:03:08
here has worked many evils on you. He hurts you, gives you bitter potions and tells you
00:03:18
he not to eat and drink whatever you like. He’ll never serve you feasts of many and varied
00:03:23
pleasant things like I will. Socrates asks us to consider the audience response: Do you
00:03:23
think the doctor would be able to reply effectively? The true answer – ‘I cause you trouble,
00:03:29
and go against you desires in order to help you’ would cause an uproar among the voters,
00:03:34
don’t you think? We have forgotten all about Socrates’s salient warnings against democracy.
00:03:40
We have preferred to think of democracy as an unambiguous good – rather than as something
00:03:45
that is only ever as effective as the education system that surrounds it. As a result, we
00:03:51
have elected many sweet shop owners, and very few doctors.