Google "referendum"
and you'll find hundreds of people
explaining why referendums are bad,
don't work, aren't as democratic
as they seem.
But referendums are very much
like the way political life worked
in the birthplace of democracy -
ancient Athens.
Ancient Athenians didn't have
representative democracy,
they had direct democracy,
with the electorate voting
on pretty much everything -
basically, never-ending referendums.
Even at the time, democracy -
which is Greek for...
had its critics, not least Plato,
teacher of Aristotle
and one of the most famous
thinkers in history.
Plato thought democracy
was terrible -
the second-worst form
of government after tyranny.
About 2,400 years ago
Plato wrote one of the first and most
influential books about government...
In it Plato imagines Socrates,
his teacher,
concluding that the best
form of government is...
which is Greek for...
He imagined
a well-educated aristocracy
that spent their lives
being prepared for leadership,
so that they could make
wise decisions for society.
Though his views were
undeniably classist,
Plato thought these aristocrats
would rule selflessly and virtuously.
But Plato believed this ideal society
would be in constant danger
of breaking down.
He thought the sons of
the wise, educated men
would be corrupted over time
by privilege and leisure.
They would come to care
only about wealth,
and the aristocracy
would become an oligarchy -
Greek for...
These new rich, penny-pinching rulers
would be obsessed
with balancing the budget.
Austerity would rule the day
and inequality would increase.
As wealth and equality
in the oligarchy grew,
the uneducated have-nots would end up
hugely outnumbering the haves.
Eventually, the oligarchs
would be overthrown
and the state would collapse
into democracy -
meaning endless referendums.
Once the people had freedom
they'd want even more.
They'd want to take back control.
Sovereignty -
freedom at any cost -
would be their single-minded aim.
It would be mob rule.
So, Plato would probably give
referendums a thumbs-down.
But we have all sorts of things
that didn't exist in Plato's time -
a representative democracy,
the Supreme Court,
the Human Rights Act,
universal education.
Plato wouldn't recognise any of these
checks against thoughtless mob rule.
But we do.
And we have these safeguards
even when we have a referendum.
So, is Plato even relevant?
Is there anything to learn from a
2,000-year-old democracy-hater?
I think there is,
if we look deeper and ask
why he thought what he did.
What was so good
about how the aristocrats ruled,
and so bad about the people?
In his imagination,
Plato's selfless aristocrats
made wise and educated decisions
aimed at virtue.
They asked themselves
"What would be the just and prudent
course of action?"
The uncultured have-nots let their
passion guide their decisions.
Their love of freedom
for freedom's sake,
with little thought of what was
just or best, drove them.
So that's the key for Plato -
make just, prudent, wise decisions.
Let virtue, and not passion, rule.
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