Democracy=Mobocracy
I'm studying the Greek philosophers for Politics this year. Its bloody interesting. Just reaffirms my faith in the cycle of things. It's one big chakra, and we're too stupid to take lessons from the past. So we commit the same mistakes again and again, with some new exciting features added every time.
It was really interesting to read that Socrates, Plato and Aristotle were all staunchly anti-democratic. There were several reasons why they hated by, for and of the people so much. Socrates feared that it would turn the administration into a 'Mobocracy'. Infact he was known to have hated the essential democractic principle of 'any man, any job'. Socrates was all for an 'Aristocracy of the Intellect'.
Plato was, if possible, more anti-democracy than this teacher Socrates. He blamed democracy for the death of Socrates and infact, was quite the first communist. Ofcourse, not communist in the sense that we know it today. Plato was all for the communism of property and family. He was of the view that the administrator should not hold binding ties to either as they produce a concept of 'Mine and Thine' and give rise to greed. Plato's philosopher king was always selfless and infact, Leviathan- nothing less than a Mortal God. Big demands.
But its Aristotle whose brusque treatment of democracy I find most interesting. He classifies this states quantitatively and qualitatively. Quantitatively- states are ruled by one, few or many. Qualitatively each of the above quantitative categories can have either a good manifestation, which he calls 'The Normal' and it can have a bad manifestation, 'The Perverted'. So the state ruled by one in the normal form is Monarchy and in the perverted is Tyranny. The state ruled by the few is Aristocracy in the normal and Oligarchy in the perverted. And the state ruled by the many is Polity in the normal and (wait for it) Democracy in the perverted.
So there you go. Aristotle thought democracy was a perverted form of governance. The Holy Trinity of ancient political philosophy dismissed democracy. Oh, but then again- these men also spoke about the sharing of wives, geometry being the essence of life and a monarch who was above many, if not all, laws. What does this lesson teach you?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy- for more gyaan. Oh and P.s: I'm all for democracy, responsible democracy rocks. Just so you don't confuse me with either Socrates, Plato or Aristotle. I'm not Greek, I hate togas and I can't grow a beard.
Oh and P.p.s: Take a look at this while you're at it. Hilarious. http://www.sjgames.com/illuminati/politics.html
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on 2.5.06 at 6:07 PM.
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Democracy has become the least of all evils and hence seems attractive .. though deep down their nothing that is democratic in nature .. even when one says majority .. it is usally one man wanting something and convincing a 100 others that they too want it making it a majority .. i like the idea of partial Dictatorship .. but it will always be possible in theory not in practice .. nobody is that bloody talented ..
Interesting read. You are studying good stuff.
I only recently wrote an essay on voting sysems. Funny that we talk about democracy in the West and how it represents the will of the people. This is not the case however as if you do a little research you will find that voting systems are often used to manipulate who is elected.
Democracy is a nice fuzzy warm kind of idea. It makes us all feel good because we are advocating equality. The reality is very far from the truth.
I enjoyed reading about the philosophers thoughts.
Thought I would drop you a comment.
When you are dealing with people its always going to be a shitty business, no matter which way you try. Theres a little bit of shit in all of us. Socrates and Plato might have liked the idea of communism cos they never lived in communist countries or read about them.
Democracy is probably the only form i think that keeps me slightly, or at least i feel, insulated from policies made by people in authority. So i like it. But if i was in Pakistan, he's gonna make me pray and thats gonna make me mad. Democracy, is probably, the only way you can have differing minds fighting it out while they still co exist. So i like it.
I wouldn't like to stay in a country where the political thinkers are trying or fighting for utopia. Cos i know that no two person would have the same idea of utopia. Nazi Germany. Commie USSR. TALIBAN. They were all fighting for their own utopia. Utopia does not exist. Democracy is the only form where you are not trying to lead to utopia. So its good. Dudes can just live and fight and live and fight.
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