Socrates for President

[Sean Manning]

Socrates was in fact a president, once: of the Athenian Assembly. The story, which is quite interesting, is told by Xenophon. Summarized, Socrates refused to accept a democratic decision (about the execution of several admirals) because he believed the law was different.

Today, we no longer see "rule of the law" as opposed to "government by the people", but that's because we have -ahem- laws to change laws democratically. Still, the Athenian experience, and Socrates' presidency, are illuminating.

BTW, I'd personally vote Marcus Aurelius.

Supreme Courts in countries like Canada and the US sort of have the role of defending the rule of law. I don't know what the situation is like in the Netherlands, though.

Socrates would make a good leader of the opposition in a country with a British-style parliamentary system. Question period would get a much more intellectual tone ...