Democracy and the theoretical basis of Plato's political proposal: comparison of two different models in times of political crisis

Abstract

Taking into account the ongoing crisis the democratic systems are facing, this paper aims at presenting the relevance that Plato's political thought may still have. First we will take a quick look at the current political situation and we will see how Plato's political theory, as it usually happens with the political proposals which are not democratic, is too hastily disdained due to its allegedly totalitarian nature. Second, a presentation of the theoretical bases of the Athenian political thought is to take place and in continuation we will consider the basic foundations of the democratic ideology —contemplating the political roots of Pericle's period and some contemporary approaches, as well— and we will compare them with the ones set forth by Plato, so as to show their clear distinctions and differences; differences which come naturally when considering their completely different grounds of both proposals. Concluding, we will try to prove our point that for democratic authors it would be highly beneficial to carefully analyze the political thought of Plato and of other non-democratic thinkers since such an analysis could become a really helpful tool and an opportunity opening new ways for their rethinking about democratic theory's ground.