Democracy or the rule of the people has been one of the most important and controversial issues among political scientists throughout history. The phenomenon of democracy has been debated since mankind realized the need for government to maintain order in social affairs, although it has always had its pros and cons (Gaille).
Democracy, like many basic political science terms, is essentially a Greek word derived from the term "dēmokratía”, which means, “rule by people”. In other words, it is a system of government determined by the people themselves, the people have the right to elect rulers and have the right to vote freely in decisions. Some philosophers and theorists consider democracy opposed to the classical dictatorial regime. In many Western countries today, democracy is the foundation of the freedom of human societies and economic success (Sahas). However, there is still a lot of ideological and practical controversy between the opposition and the defenders of democracy.
An examination of the views of the opponents of democracy shows that the opposition to democracy is almost as old as the history of political thought. The first ideological opposition to democracy may go back to Socrates' views that according to the interpretation given by his student Plato, he was one of the opponents of democracy (Calderbank & Daubechies). Socrates likens democracy to the rule of ignorance and selfishness. He declared that the intelligentsia should rule the country, because the common people are far from knowledge. After Socrates, his student Plato, in his writings, especially in "The Republic", openly expressed his opposition to democracy (Goodman). Plato considers democracy to be the state of ignorant people in which people gather and comment without justice, moderation and lust. In addition, Machiavelli, John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, and a number of other world-renowned philosophers are among the opponents of the idea of democracy (Miller). In support of past theorists, a number of contemporary scholars also have anti-democratic views. Contemporary scholar George Weigel, for example, agrees with some aspects of true democracy, but sees democracy-based systems as having serious problems governing society. German scientist Heidegger states that democracy is not the only solution for the advanced world and modern society. He also criticizes multiparty systems and a pluralistic society (Sahas). Therefore, political thinkers always discuss the study of aspects of opposition to democracy.
One of the strongest arguments of the opponents of democracy is the lack of public knowledge and awareness of politics. Given that people have the power to elect officials, most of them are not as aware of political issues as they should be and make mistakes without understanding social issues during elections (Gaille). Another criticism of democratic systems is that they spend a lot of time making decisions. When some major changes are to be made, a lot of time is spent voting from the public. Thus, the implementation of important and useful decisions may take years to be implemented in democratic governments, and miss the opportunity to implement them (Goodman). According to the opponents of democracy, the worst weakness of democracy is the party and factional divisions in the elections, which lead to inciting religious, racial and ethnic differences, and so on. At the same time, the democratic process encourages politicians to make promises to be elected that they know they cannot fulfill. This causes public pessimism and despair in the end (Calderbank & Daubechies).
On the opposite side,defenders of democracy see such a system as the most advanced and efficient system of government. Among the defenders of democracy can be named Thomas Jefferson and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who believe that human beings have an equal right to participate in government because they are born free and equal (Miller). Advocates of democracy believe that democracy is more equitable than other systems, such as absolute monarchies, military dictatorships, religious governments, etc. Because it allows people living in a country to decide who will rule them. In addition, a democratic system can act as a safety valve for the opposition. Citizens know that they have voted and that the government may change in the next elections, so they are less likely to resort to violent riots, general strikes, and so on (Sahas).
They also believe that democracy is by the people and for the people so it can create an ideal environment for improving the good character and habits of the people in the society. Empowering people and allowing them to decide their own destiny is definitely something that will have a significant impact on the country (Gaille). Moreover, in democratic systems, it is possible to express dissent and expose government mistakes. While criticism of the government is basically, absent in dictatorial and authoritarian systems (Goodman). In a word, democracy strengthens peace and equality, a sense of commitment, reduces violence and war, economic growth and other important effects on human society.
In conclusion, whether democracy is good or bad has always been debated from the beginning of the idea. According to proponents, democracy is one of the fairest systems of government ever established. By referendum, everyone has the right to vote, and national sovereignty belongs to the people. Opponents, on the other hand, see the weakness of democracy as delays in decision-making in critical situations. In my opinion, democracy is a tried and right system of government. Today, democratic societies have achieved great success politically, economically, socially, and so on. The best way to reach a logical conclusion is to weigh its pros and cons and compare democracy to other forms of government.
Works Cited
Calderbank, Robert & Daubechies, Ingrid. “The pros and cons of democracy.” researchgate. July 29, 2002. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/3080665_The_pros_and_cons_of_democracy
Gaille, Louise. “12 Pros and Cons of Democracy.” vittana. Oct 22, 2017.
Goodman, Paul. “Pros and Cons of Democracy.” soapboxie. Aug 2, 2020.
Miller, Brandon. “12 Vital Pros and Cons of Democracy.” greengarageblog. Aug 27, 2015. https://greengarageblog.org/12-vital-pros-and-cons-of-democracy
Sahas, Paul. “17 Pros and Cons of Democracy.” honestproscons. Oct 3, 2019.
https://honestproscons.com/pros-and-cons-of-democracy/
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