According to Plato's writings, Socrates went on trial and was executed because he didn't believe in democracy while people practiced it in Athens.
What was the core arguments or reasons that he didn't believe in democracy?
Philosophy Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for those interested in the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this communityAccording to Plato's writings, Socrates went on trial and was executed because he didn't believe in democracy while people practiced it in Athens.
What was the core arguments or reasons that he didn't believe in democracy?
Socrates preached to the Athenian young that those with governing power should have the knowledge of the Good. To him, a person obtains this knowledge when she realizes that this world is merely a shadow of the real world. The cave fable of Plato illustrate this idea. This view of Socrates is called philosopher kingship. Plato's republic and Aristotle's aristocracy were examples to embody this view that knowledge is political power. To arrive at this view, Socrates assumes that there is the absolute truth and some humans can access the truth.
Historically speaking, Socrates, with this notion of absolute truth, tried to refute the going, powerful view of the sophists who denied the absolute truth. Their intellectual godfather, Protagoras, famously stated that "Man is the measure of all things." The saying is interpreted as meaning that truth is what each individual construes. Another important sophist, Gorgias, moved this truth relativism idea further to truth nihilism. According to him, "Nothing exists; even if existence exists, it is inapprehensible to humans; even if existence is apprehensible, it certainly cannot be communicated or explained to others."
Their differing views on truth directly influenced their answers to the question, "Who should have the political power?" Socrates' answer was that only those with the knowledge of absolute truth should rule. Socrates' answer meant a refutation of democracy since, to him, 'demo' meant the stupidity of the crowd. To the sophists, on the other hand, knowledge was relative and possibly non-existent, and, in this case, each and every citizen should have a political say. The answer by the sophists, then, was the affirmation of going Athenian democracy.
And the rest, the fate of Socrates, is history.