Plato The Grandfather of Democracy Essay - 1156 Words

Plato: The Grandfather of Democracy The history and the evolution of what we know as law, has developed out of many different viewpoints and philosophies. It has been the result of the operational and manipulative aspects of public affairs, and also seems to be the creation of different philosophical systems. There have been many that have been innovators in this area of thought from political leaders and dictators, to others who were simple political idealists and philosophers. Through the wisdom and teachings of Plato, law has evolved into many different systems, and through this paper we will discuss the impact this particular philosopher had had on our modern system of democracy. We will also try to recognize that law will†¦show more content†¦Then in democracy, I went on, theres no compulsion either to exercise authority if you are capable of it, or to submit to authority if you dont want to; you neednt fight if theres a war, or you can wage a private war in peacetime if you dont like peace; and if t heres any law that debars you from political or judicial office, you will none the less take either if they come your way. Its a wonderfully pleasant way if carrying on in the short run, isnt it?(The Republic). In An Introduction to Platos Republic by Julia Annas, she argues Plato presents democracy as defined by tolerant pluralism, but Athens was a populist democracy, with a clearly defined way of life separating those with power from those without, and about as tolerant of openly expressed nonconformity as McCarthyite America! Here, Annus is using the comparison of democracy to tolerant pluralism, as a way of saying that within Platos view of this type of political system there exists many different realities, and seems to question if law exists at all. She compares his so-called democracy as what is commonly referred to as anarchy. Plato believes there are three social classes in democracy: the drones (unemployed), the rich, and the working masses. He says there will eventually be a period of unrest between the people and the government, and the working class will put forward a single popular leader, whom they nurse to greatness, and it is this leader whoShow MoreRelatedPlato s Philosophy And Philosophy1070 Words   |  5 PagesPlato, a Greek philosopher, was born around 423 to 428 BC, and died around 347 or 348 BC, at the age of eighty. He was a great philosopher, taught by Socrates. His dialogues have been used to teach many subjects, consisting of logic, ethics, rhetoric, religion, and mathematics, as well as philosophy. Plato was born between 429 and 423 BC, in either Athens or Aegina. At some point during his childhood, his father died, but the date is unknown. He was named Aristocles after his grandfather, but hisRead MoreThe Philosopher Who Was An Ancient Greek Philosopher Essay1553 Words   |  7 PagesToday I chose to talk about the philosopher Plato who was an Ancient Greek philosopher who founded the Academy and is also one of the authors of philosophical works of a lot of influential works in Western civilization. Plato was born around the times of Circa in 428 B.C.E. and because of the lack of many sources from his time period, unfortunately, much of Plato’s work in his life has been reconstructed by scholars throughout his writings which were discovered and analyzed by very intelligentRead MoreThe Fall of the United States/Rome II?3132 Words   |  13 PagesWebster.com) Section I: Structures’ of roman government The Roman Constitution was mainly handed down verbally and sustained changes over time. It was created as a three branch system of government out of modern governing systems at the time. Democracy, Aristocracy and Monarchism were used as the basis for the division of power into the three institutions; Legislative Assembly, The Senate, and The Consuls. The Senate – Aristocracy The Senate was legendarily founded in the first days of Rome, 753B