Open AccessDEFICIENCIES OF PLATO’S DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM
Author(s) -
Iryna Liashchenko
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
polìtologìčnij vìsnik
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2415-881X
DOI - 10.17721/2415-881x.2019.82.37-43
Subject(s) - democracy , arbitrariness , state (computer science) , interdependence , politics , government (linguistics) , representative democracy , sociology , soul , law and economics , power (physics) , law , order (exchange) , political science , political economy , philosophy , epistemology , economics , mathematics , linguistics , physics , algorithm , quantum mechanics , finance
Main objective of the study. The objective of the study is to identify deficiencies of the democratic political system in order to protect democracy from rapid degradation into tyranny.Methodology. The systematic method was selected as the methodological basis for the research, as it enables the consideration of Plato’s democratic system as interdependent with other types of states. The comparative method proved to be effective for distinguishing the characteristic features of the aristocratic, timocratic, oligarchic, democratic and tyrannical state of the human soul and Plato’s system of government.Findings and conclusions. To enable proper operation of democracy, it requires protection from its own deficiencies. These deficiencies include the following: firstly, the flaw of haughty, arrogant attitude towards wise talented naturally eminent people and the fear of their coming to power originates from timocracy; secondly, just as «barns with gold» destroyed the timocratic and oligarchic type of state, so the residues of these «barns» turn into a flaw of democracy in the form of a social abyss between the most affluent and the most deprived strata of the society; thirdly, this is excessive will in democracy that is gradually turning into excessive slavery. Regarding the latter, Plato emphasizes the anarchic extreme of freedom in democracy, which turns it into arbitrariness. After all, in a democracy there is no need to participate in government; not necessarily obey; no go to war; neither obey peace or laws, etc. The main consequence of all these deficiencies in the democratic system is the fostering of a future tyrant rooting from a people’s deputy. Since the thinker points out that no matter how many times a tyrant appears, he does not come from somewhere, but only from a democratic election procedure.