Defenses for Democracy Essay -- Papers Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Defenses for DemocracyIs liberty a bad thing? Socrates seemed to speak up so. In Book VIIIof Platos Republic, Socrates criticizes democracy by attacking trio ofits most important aspects liberty, equality, and majority rule. Heasserts that because of these things, a democratic city will always f each(prenominal)into tyranny. I disagree, and feel that all iii of the principles areessential to a fair and just city, and only in their absence can a city betaken into tyranny. Socrates begins his observations on the defects of a democraticgovernment by first attacking liberty. His briny argument is that there isentirely too a strong deal of it. People in a democracy are free to do what theywish in their lives and are free to chose what if any job they will do. Socrates asks if, like the opuskind with the democratic soul, they will not just pass the time and not get overmuch done (Plato, 557e). This may be true, but pot who do not work do not eat. InSocrates city, much like in a communist regime, all of the people in acity are responsible for the common good of all of the other members oftheir city. A man who does nothing would truly be a burden on thissociety, but unlike in Socrates city, or a communist state, in a capitalistdemocracy people are responsible for their own survival, and a manmust work if he is to have a food, shelter, and all of the othernecessities of life.When describing his just city, Socrates was very much in favor ofspecialization of labor (Plato, 367e-372b), so for a man to try manythings would go against his concept of what belongs in a good city. ButShouldn?t one try one?s dig at many tasks until one find a job that outdofulfills one?s soul? In Alienated Labor, Ka... ...ey would still be inexistence today.BibliographyDavis, Michael. The Politics of Philosophy. capital of the United Kingdom Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 1996Hamilton, Alexander. constituent(a) Convention Address. Constitutional Convention, Phil adelphia. 29 Jul. 1787 Durant, Will. The Story of Philosophy. New York Simon and Schuster,1961Guigon, Charles, ed. The Good Life. Cambridge Hackett PublishingCompany, 1999Kennedy, John F. delivery at San Diego State College. San DiegoState College, San Diego. 06 Jun. 1963Macaulay, Thomas Babbington Ed. Scott, Allan. The Works of Thomas Babbington Macaulay. London Wordsworth Poetry Library, 1995Marx, Karl. Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts. Germany 1844Plato, Ed. Allan Bloom. Republic. USA Basic Books, 1991Spooner, Lysander. An Essay on the Trial By Jury. London 1852