Open AccessUnmasking the Democratic Man: A Modern Application of Plato's The Republic
Author(s) -
A. V. Seaton and Philip Alford
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
political science undergraduate review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2562-1289
pISSN - 2562-1270
DOI - 10.29173/psur234
Subject(s) - democracy , covid-19 , pandemic , political science , order (exchange) , the republic , political economy , law , aesthetics , sociology , art , philosophy , epistemology , business , medicine , disease , finance , pathology , politics , infectious disease (medical specialty)
The COVID-19 pandemic has turned the world upside down and it has become clear how thin the human veneer truly is. In order to protect their citizens from contracting and spreading coronavirus, governments have had to enact strict measures, including mandatory mask bylaws. With anti-mask protests emerging across the province of Alberta, it is difficult to understand the rationale behind the protesters. By applying Plato’s description of the 'democratic man’ to the anti-mask protests, the conclusion that previous thinkers’ contributions cannot be underestimated, no matter the age of the text, is reached.