Socrates and his theories - Essay Example

Contrary to other philosophers, Socrates devoted his life to serve his people without charging fees (Plato 34). Therefore, to state that Socrates had no or little participation of democracy in Athenian government is entirely true. Socrates perceived democratic form of governance as corrupt, unjust, and he profoundly differed with its ideologies. As a philosopher, Socrates believed in practicality and critical thinking in order for one to improve his or her life. He opposed the idea of the majority being in government, which is one of the fundamentals that form a democratic government.

According to Pericles, Socrates lack of recognition in equality through participation of the majority makes him less a democratic citizen (Plato 40). Cleon as portrayed by Thucydides was a diligent supporter of the democratic system of government. In his speech Cleon, upholds the negative aspects of the Athenian rules. Cleon strongly believed that anyone who opposed the Athenian government is subject to punishment (Thucydides 25). Cleon delivered his speech opposing the Mytilenian revolt against Athens.

In his speech, Cleon emphasized on certain aspects of democracy discussed by Pericles in his famous funeral oration. These aspects include the implementation of the death row sentence. It is my opinion that as much as Cleon convinced Athenians through his speech that democracy is the answer to peace, order and equality. However, it is vital to consider the opinion of the minority for democracy to be effective and sufficient. Socrates did not support Athenian democratic government because of its ignorance of the minority.

In fact, he considered it a tool of oppression. Socrates would highly disagree with Cleon’s speech full of egotistical claims in favor of democratic government. This is because in his speech Cleon does not mention the installation of moral values among the citizens to ensure orderliness. Rather, he emphasizes on the execution of the law whether it is just or bias (Thucydides 30). His speech contrasts Socrates belief in the power of knowledge and critical thinking as opposed to following and serving the law blindly (Plato 56).

In his speech Diodotus, stressed on the importance of reasoning before implementing a rule. Diodotus urges the Athenian parliament to reason and strategize before passing a judgment on the Mytilenian revolution. Diodotus opposed Cleon who stood by the rules of law. It is my understanding that Diodotus realized that strategy and tact are essential in implementation of power or rules. As in the case of Athens, they faced a challenge in integrating the other states in their system of governance.

This was result of lack of strategy and tact (Thucydides 50). Diodotus in his speech argued that by wise reasoning Athenians would subtly subdue the other states without the use of force. Diodotus argument concurs with Socrates principles of governance and power. Just like Diodotus, Socrates believed in rational conflict solving methods. Moreover, in his theories Socrates states that, through critical reasoning, a state can achieve anything it intends to acquire without the use of force. Socrates also believed in knowledge as a tool for personal development.

However, Diodotus and Socrates differed in terms of participation in politics. Diodotus was an active figure in policy making while Socrates concerned himself with acquisition of knowledge (Kamtekar 80). In the case of the Mytilenian debate, Diodotus