PHIL 240 Chapter : PHIL 240 Who Should Rule? - Plato
27 Sep 2011
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For the people: ruling in the people"s interests. By the people: rulings decided by the general populace. Contentions with democracy: tyranny of the majority. People are not homogenous, differing in various ways. Majority rule can have very negative consequences for certain minorities: representative vs direct. Every issue cannot be put to the electorate; representatives are elected. Critique of contemporary liberal democracy: never really ever had it. Ancient greece: thought voting for candidates was undemocratic, as it gave the unpopular less than equal chance. Craft analogy: if one seeks medical aid, one goes to a doctor, an expert, and not the whims of a crowd. If governance is a skill, then it should be left to philosopher-kings, who have been brought up in an education meant to hone that skill; they will be the best fit to rule. Rebuttal: experts are called upon for advice , not laws.
