8.8: The Tyrannical City

See 562a-569c. “When someone appropriates the possessions of the citizens, on the other hand, and then kidnaps and enslaves the possessors as well, instead of these shameful names he is called happy and blessed: not only by the citizens themselves, but even by all who learn that he has committed the whole of injustice. For it is not the fear of doing injustice, but of suffering it, that elicits the reproaches of those who revile injustice. So you see, Socrates, injustice, if it is on a large enough scale, is stronger, freer, and more masterful than justice.” Thus spoke Thrasymachus in Book I, at 344b-c. Here at the end of Book VIII, Socrates explains how such a person can come to power. Freedom is the single overriding value in the democratic city, but it is a freedom that comes at the expense of authority. Fathers aspire to be like their sons, while sons show no respect for their fathers. Teachers flatter their students, while students despise their teachers. “In general, the young are the spitting images of their elders and compete with them in words and deeds, while the old stoop to the level of the young and are full of wit and indulgence, imitating the young for fear of being thought disagreeable and masterful.” Resident aliens and citizens, men and women, slaves and slave owners – all come to have equal freedom. In this atmosphere of freedom and equality, the class of “drones,” which in the oligarchic city were marginalized as beggars or criminals, come into their own and dominate the public assembly. They set themselves up as advocates for the people against what they represent as the unfair material success of the rich, whom they label “oligarchs,” and they see to it that as much “honey” is taxed out of the rich as possible. Some of this public money makes it down to the common people, but the leader-drones “keep the greatest share for themselves.” The rich take offense at being abused at the hands of these people and so they “really do become oligarchs,” which is to say that they move to reform the government so that people of good sense (good sensible money-makers) are in control. In reaction, the people choose one drone “as their special leader,” a man of rare gifts – clever, fierce, and charismatic – and turn to him for their defense. Then something happens. “By leveling the usual false charges and bringing people into court, he commits murder. And by blotting out a man’s life, his impious tongue and lips taste kindred blood. Then he banishes and kills and drops hints about the cancellation of debts and the redistribution of land.” In this atmosphere of civil strife, the people, fearing for the safety of their champion and protector, grant him a bodyguard, which he proceeds to strengthen until there is no one left to oppose him in the city. At this point, a different sort of person might resign the position of dictator and return, like Cincinnatus, to the plow. But this champion of the people is no longer a man with any semblance of temperance in his soul. Having tasted “kindred blood,” he has become a wolf among men, a tyrant. One of the first things the newly established tyrant does is start up a war, for people feel they need a strong leader most when they are at war. While the war is going on, he works to consolidate his power. As the bravest of those who helped him come to power begin to criticize his regime, he has them seized and killed. He continues to target such people “until he is left with no friend or enemy who is worth anything at all.” Socrates contrasts this sort of purge with that performed by physicians: “they draw off the worst and leave the best, but he does just the opposite.” The tyrant finds that the more the people in the city grow to hate him, the more he needs a strong, loyal cadre of bodyguards. So he hires a private army, recruiting people from other cities (“foreign drones”) as well as from the ranks of emancipated slaves, the city, of course, picking up the tab. He then gives himself over to ruthless maintenance of power and to the sort of revelry that comes of being above the law.

• Can you imagine a tyrant coming to power in the United States? How could this be achieved? What social conditions would make such a thing more likely?