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Will Hylton

GS 435
September 13, 2016
Paper #2
In the world today the rise and fall of a nations government and society can be attributed
to the leaders put in place to govern and rule on behalf of the majority. The United States is a
perfect example of a nation that elects officials to make decisions they feel is best for the
country. Elected officials create policies and laws based upon what they feel is just or will create
the most benefit for society as a whole. This democratic system of government allows for all of
the people within our country to enjoy freedoms and liberties that otherwise would be
impossible. However, we know that this concept does not always work and the citizens within
our country do not always receive the representation they feel they deserve or need to survive
and flourish. It is also evident that in some cases the people within a society do not participate in
the system that allows for them to have the freedom they enjoy on a daily basis. In The Republic,
Plato discusses that this form of society is almost inevitable and will surely lead to a tyrannical
society. In America we can see how our society is leading toward the tyrannical society depicted
by Plato, and in order to prevent this outcome our society as a whole must take an active part in
our elected officials who create the policies and laws that govern all citizens.
Dr. Freeman expressed that a true democracy is completely free in which all members of
society are move at random and do what they please (Freeman, 2016). At any given moment if
you turn on the TV you can see murders, riots, and protests. Each of these acts are a perfect
example of people expressing their complete freedom and freedom to do what they please at all
times. However, in most cases these are the people who do not take an active part in politics. The
members of these protests and riots, who are usually complaining about some issue in society,

are the ones who possess the least amount of knowledge on what is going on in the political
world. The people- those who work their own land, take no part politics, and own few
possessions- would be the third class. This is the largest and most powerful class in a democracy
when it meets in assembly (Plato, 380 BC/2004, p. 263). In society today this could be
considered as the lower and middle class, or the working class within America, and in most cases
these individuals are the least educated on political issues.
The lack of education among the members of a society are due to the lack of will or want
to participate in political matters. In most cases people are more focused on their own personal
wealth, physical pleasures, and honor than they are with politics (Plato, 380 BC, 2004).
However, it would seem that these people would feel more obligated to take part in politics since
it is what allows them to pursue the things mentioned above. The people who we see day in and
day out rioting or protesting in the media are the ones who should feel the most inclination to
educate themselves on political issues. Instead these people put all of their focus into police
brutality, racism, or obtaining more money from the government in which they essentially do not
know anything about.
A society as described above are the ones more likely to fall under the rule of a
tyrannical leader since they are the ones more easily influenced by someone who promises
change, promises them more money, or promises a quick fix to all of their problems. Plato
depicts that this type of society is inevitably falling into tyranny, that the people within this type
of society are subjectable to a leader who promises to bring them back into wealth and prosperity
(Plato, 380 BC/2004). We can see this exact thing in our upcoming presidential election, in
which both candidates promise they can move our country back into prosperity, or Make
America Great Again, by making empty arguments and lacking a true plan of action. Dr.

Freeman expressed, democratic people moving at random can be easily organized by someone
who has something to gain (Freeman, 2016). People within our society, especially those who
are uneducated in political matters, hear these claims of future prosperity, peace, or wealth and
jump on the candidates bandwagon without actually understanding the parameters of what is
being purposed.
Platos description of democracy depicts the inferiority of one generation to the next, and
therefore, the lacking of leaders to the predecessors (Plato, 380 BC/2004). However, this never
ending degeneration of democracy can be reversed if the people within our society choose to
educate themselves in political matters. If the people of our country focused more on becoming
active participants within political matters, instead of an increase in minimum wage for
McDonalds workers or police brutality, for the greater good of society then our country would
have a chance to become great again. The desire for wealth and physical pleasures we are all
biologically inclined to have should not outweigh our desire to better ourselves for the good of
others.

References
Freeman, Joe PhD. (2016, September 12). Democracy: An Alternative View. Lecture at
Lynchburg College, Lynchburg, Va.
Plato, & Reeve, C.D. (2004). Republic. Indianapolis: Hackett Pub. (Original Work published 380
B.C.).

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