Title: Why Socrates Hated Democracy Source:
YouTube URL Source:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLJBzhcSWTk Published:Nov 28, 2016 Author:The School of Life Post Date:2018-05-21 06:26:08 by A Pole Keywords:democracy, monarchy, republic Views:1895 Comments:11
I am always amused, and also horrified when I hear our political leaders, talking heads, etc talk about " Our Democracy ". They show themselves to be political idiots.
I had a argument with a few guys at work one time about it. They kept talking about our democracy. Told them we were not a democracy, but a Republic. They scoffed. Told them over the weekend to do their research and prove me wrong. On Monday, they could not.
Told them we were not a democracy, but a Republic.
Rome was a Republic, that is why she was able to defeat enemies and become a great Empire with Emperor at the helm. After conversion to Christianity and transfer of the capital city from Milan to New Rome on Bosphorus lasted another thousand years.
Athens were a Democracy and lasted much shorter. Sparta was a Republic and lasted much longer.
Swiss Confederacy is very stable and is prevented from turning to conquests by its federal decentralized structure.
I notice you don't mention his history of Florence, widely regarded as far and away his best work by historians. The rest of his books were derivative and nothing special. And only the reputation for cynical wickedness that The Prince has had since the Victorian era really keeps his name alive at all.
I think it is just wrong to consider Machiavelli a major political thinker or writer. He wasn't famous, he was infamous.
