Socrates on Democracy: Wisdom for Modern Voters

“Democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms”, so said Winston Churchill, noted champion of democratic ideals.

Not often, but sometimes I feel sorry for residents of California or Minnesota or even New York. Overseers like Kevin Newsom and Tim Waltz prove that any government is only as good (or bad) as its rulers.

In a democracy, this means that the general population must be properly “educated” or propagandized to rule themselves. Will the United States end up like Athens, Greece? A democracy in name, but in fact ruled by the unwashed mob?

It was Socrates himself who had wise words about democracy more than 2000 years ago. He said that demoracy must fall because it will try to tailor to everyone.

• The poor will want the wealth of the rich, and democracy will give it to them.

• Young people will want to be respected as elderly and democracy will give it to them.

• Women will want to be like men and democracy will give it to them.

• Men will want to be like women and democracy will give it to them.

• Foreigners will want the rights of the natives and democracy will give it to them.

• Thieves and fraudsters will want important government functions, and democracy will give it to them.

And at that time, when thieves and fraudsters finally democratically take authority because criminals and evil doers want power, there will be worse dictatorship than in the time of any monarchy or oligarchy. Does this sound about right, Californians and Minnesotans?

In the United States voters can be a little less than informed about what they are voting for. Half of American adults don’t know that each state gets two senators. Two thirds don’t even know what the FDA does.

Those women on The View, or CNN pundits, or late night talk show hosts continuously remind us enough so that people don’t know much about immigration. The same goes for law enforcement or even Obamacare. The voter’s lack of information is demonstrably negative for them. These facts, combined with the power of the offices in the hands of the voting public, would make Socrates reach for the hemlock.

What can we do?

“There is one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance”. Thus spoke the anti-democratic Socrates.

While education is the best hope for a democracy, liberal or woke indoctrination is clearly not.

Unlike California or Minnesota, most people understand the traits needed in a leader. They know the difference between a con artist and a legitimate leader.

They know which path forward to take is the difference between an effective democracy and Socrates’ nightmare.

While in our democracy the typical voter doesn’t need to worry about being placed in a position of power by lottery, they do need to understand enough to select the right person to have in power in their stead.

For the Greeks this was an education in grammar, logic, and rhetoric, arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy. All things seen as vital to taking part in public life and living the life of a free citizen, it was later the foundation of our modern Liberal Arts education (without the unbalanced indoctrination).

While the idea that “the best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter” may still ring true, improving the education of the average voter weakens that argument.