this post was submitted on 20 Feb 2026
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It was more a logical conclusion that the people with the best education should have a seat in the senate. That was not limited, but also included philosophers. They strived for the best results for Athens and the country as a whole.
Would they become corrupted and powerhungry? I dont know. Thats always a possibility.
But from a logical standpoint there is not much to argue against. Which was exactly the way they came to this conclusion. Arguing until they had the commonly agreed on best result for everyone. Arguing and critizising until they found the essence of how a state should be governed.
Where they wrong? If so we should all stop right there because our whole democratic system is built on it. Thus making our ways wrong.
It is a theory tho and maybe we are more ruled by kings than we want to admit.
I misspoke in my original post and brain dead said Aristotle when I meant Plato, a mix-up which would have offended both of them.
Our governmental system is not built on Socrates' philosophies, neither in practice, nor on paper.
Alhough I am admittedly less familiar with his work, Aristotle is closer to our current (on paper) system, but I never intended to claim he was pro merit-based leadership; Socrates, as depicted through Plato, was. That's a problem, because whoever determines what "merit" is leads to unapologetic, authoritarian, often fascist, rule.