Plato firmly believed that there is a natural order of rank among human beings, that in mind and spirit some men and women are innately superior to others, and that none but the best (hoi aristoi) should rule in an ideal state. Accordingly, Plato held democracy in low regard; and he did so in large part because he thought that democracies foolishly assign a sort of equality to equals and unequals alike (558c). Your assignment is to write an essay in which you assess the merit of Platos position as summarized above: What can be said for or against his view that democracy is a poor form of government because it assigns a sort of equality to equals and unequals alike? Your essay should be printed and double-spaced, and in length the ideal lies in the proximity of 2-3 pages. (To leave room for my comments, use standard margins.) Submission by the due date is a firm requirement of the assignment. Late submission of the assignment is a cause for grade reduction. For this assignment, you are not required to use secondary sources; but if you do, you must cite your sources at the end of your paper and at every point of use. Any standard method of citation, consistently used, is acceptable. (Passages from Platos dialogues may be cited by Stephanos numbers alone.) I remind you that any instance of plagiarism the act of passing off another’s work as your own will earn an automatic F on the assignment.
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