Tyrant Son

In book VIII, Socrates discusses the four types of unjust city leaders. This dialogue leads into book IX, where Socrates describes the tyrannical son. The tyrant is the worst of the four leaders, because he is the polar opposite of the philosopher-king. The tyrant descends from the democratic leader. He does not start out as a tyrant, but he is exposed to the superfluous desires that come from democracy and the drones that are now present in the city. He is unable to restrain from a lawless lifestyle, unlike his father who had a strict oligarchic father to restrain him. He has no sense of self-control and inevitably indulges in worldly things. The tyrant ultimately becomes selfish, insatiable, and fearful of his life for punishment for crimes he commits. This image that Socrates paints shows how democracy leads to tyranny. Democracy is the first step toward lawlessness, and therefore it is second worst type of leadership behind tyranny for a just city.