The Republic, the best-known work of ancient Greek philosopher Plato, authored around 375BC, has shaped western political thought. Greece is now known as the “cradle of democracy”. Not only was the first democracy in the world in Athens, but the word itself comes from the Greek demos (people) and kratos (rule). Yet Plato’s The Republic relentlessly argues against democracy.
This might be surprising, given that westerners typically think that it is very important to live in a democracy. Almost all western countries are democratic. In the most recent election in the US, both Trump voters and Harris voters claimed to be “defending democracy”. And in the UK, the current Labour government has committed extending the right to vote to 16-year-olds.
So what was Plato’s argument? And could it hold the key to understanding why, across the west, confidence in democracy is declining?
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