1. Rule by the Ignorant Majority

Socrates argued that democracy allowed anyone to participate in decision-making regardless of expertise or wisdom. He likened the state to a ship that should be navigated by skilled sailors, not decided by popular vote among passengers who lack nautical knowledge. Similarly, he compared governance to medicine, insisting that just as one wouldn't vote on medical treatments but consult a doctor, political decisions should be left to those with rational insight rather than the whims of the crowd. In his view, birthright alone shouldn't grant voting power, as it often resulted in foolish, ill-informed choices by the majority.

2. Lack of Education and Rational Thought

He believed democracy required an educated populace to function properly, but in reality, most citizens were swayed by emotion, rhetoric, or self-interest rather than logic and truth. Socrates emphasized that only those who had deeply contemplated issues through dialectical reasoning (his Socratic method) should influence policy, warning that uneducated voters were prone to manipulation and error.

3. Vulnerability to Demagogues and Tyranny

Democracy, in Socrates' eyes, was susceptible to exploitation by charismatic leaders who pandered to public desires rather than pursuing the common good. He saw it as a system where "foolish leaders" could rise by telling people what they wanted to hear, potentially devolving into tyranny. This criticism was rooted in Athens' own turbulent history, including defeats in the Peloponnesian War, which he attributed partly to democratic mismanagement.

4. Suppression of Dissent and Fragility

Through Plato's portrayal, Socrates viewed democracy as a "plague" where the majority could suppress minorities or intellectuals, as evidenced by his own trial and execution in 399 BCE on charges of impiety and corrupting the youth—decided by a democratic jury. He worried about the system's instability, arguing it prioritized equality over merit and often punished those who questioned it.

It's worth noting that Socrates didn't advocate for outright authoritarianism; he favored a merit-based system led by philosopher-kings, as elaborated in Plato's Republic. His "hatred" was more a profound skepticism toward unchecked popular rule, influenced by Athens' direct democracy, which differed from modern representative systems. These ideas continue to spark debate on the balance between public participation and expertise in governance.