Elite Critics of Popular Rule

Abstract

Political philosophers, almost without exception, opposed mass involvement in politics. Instead, they proposed that the art of ruling was a specialized, technical skill, which could be attained only by the few men who had the right combination of aristocratic lineage alongside proper education and training. In this chapter, a quick review is given of the basic ideas of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. It concludes that this trio, the most important thinkers at Athens, were staunch opponents of self-governance and political equality.