[quote=@Vilageidiotx] The problem with the Socrates quote is... well, lets pull it out of its context. Socrates in this particular situation isn't necessarily the philosopher himself, but a character in Plato's Republic, where Plato's concept of an ideal society is developed. It's based on the idea that you can create a meritocratic natural order, where an upper level of "Philosopher Kings" can be nurtured to rule. The problem is that you cannot make a meritocratic natural order. Plato's Republic amounted to saying "It would be great if we always made worthy people into Kings, so we should do that", which is nice sounding, but it's quite Utopian in reality to expect an aristocracy to work that way. Whatever problems democracy has regarding education, dictatorship also has. If the history of Kings and Dictators was a history of meritocracy, sure, we could stick with it. But in reality that history is a history of Carlos IIs and Neros. In a democracy, the failures can at least be rectified by the reaction of the populous. With Monarchy you have to hope that the next role of the dice is a good one, whereas in a democracy the population itself can intervene through... democracy. And it has worked out that way. Buchanan, the 15th President of the US, is considered the most incompetent in American history. He is directly followed by Abraham Lincoln, who is often rated our best President. Democracy is a good system because it is reactive like that. [/quote] If you're going to analyze history through the lens of basic Hegelian Dialectics, then democracy has the benefit the action-reaction-synthesis of history is carried out relatively faster as opposed to having to raise an army to wage a bloody year, two, or three year war against the present ruler to affect the change you want to see when said ruler is unresponsive to the needs of the populace and society in general. That is provided you're not willing to wait for the kings equally insulated son or next of kin is any better. The danger in democracy I feel is increasing insulation and isolation of the leaders we elect, and not the system itself. Democracy kind of has that benefit of the resources spread over a larger base so no group is any stronger than the other and it can act with stability without a succession war kicking up every other succession period.