Democracy

Plato’s warning: Is Democracy at risk?

Briefing Team

Mar 19, 2025 — 1 min read

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...

Ancient Greece birthed democracy, yet its greatest philosopher, Plato, fiercely opposed it. In The Republic, written around 375BC, he argues that ruling is a skilled trade—one that most people lack. He likens democracy to passengers electing a pilot mid-flight, warning that popularity, not expertise, determines leaders.

But does his argument still hold? Today, trust in democracy is eroding across the West. Critics question whether ordinary citizens can make informed political choices. Yet, democracy’s defenders counter that collective decision-making can be wiser, fairer, and strengthened through political education.

Plato’s critique is unsettling, but does it justify abandoning democracy? Or should we instead refine it—ensuring voters and leaders alike are better equipped to govern?

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▪ Cover: Unsplash/Fred Moon. (Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.)

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