The Justice of Democracy Essay - 789 Words

The Justice of Democracy Why was Socrates the renowned Philosopher put to death, was it based on his political and spiritual beliefs or because he taught his beliefs to his students? He believed that he was in a private pursuit of truth, a search for wisdom. He turned the youth against the Gods of Athens, proposing that the opinions of experts were the only pertinent opinions. Socrates never voiced his concerns or chose to leave the society that had supported him for some seventy years of his life. The democratic government allowed the majority to rule, it enabled the people to vote and decide what is just. The government was based on a procedural process, one, which took into account the input of the majority. In this manner they†¦show more content†¦In this way Socrates felt justified in turning away from the belief system, his own right in his mind, as well as corrupting the minds of the youth. His seemingly private matter turned into a public matter when his actions started effecting the well be ing of the community, his pursuits then became a political matter. The form of government called democracy, Socrates claimed not to agree with its principles. In pursuing wisdom, truth and justice, he was acting in a democratic manner, the same political process that he condemned for its corruptive nature. Socrates proposed a system where the experts decide the decisions of the country, because they are the only ones who have the knowledge. He defines knowledge, as knowing that you do not know and ignorance as thinking you know what you really do not know. (Apology, 4). Then the question is proposed why would a country need experts, those who are able to admit that they are wrong, to make just and right decisions for that country? Socrates believed philosophers, such as himself were the only mentally equipped citizens qualified to make decisions that effect the path of this country. The democratic system has been tested and proven, citizens utilize the strengths of the political system. In the democratic manner, a system which Socrates felt he knew enough about to defy, Socrates should have employed these strengths to his own advantage. The majority sentenced him and he hadShow MoreRelatedDemocracy And The Problem Of Distributive Justice1443 Words   |  6 PagesDemocracy and the Prob lem of Distributive Justice The preliminary point into an inquiry of distributive justice is to disconnect the conjunction of â€Å"distributive,† and â€Å"justice†. 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