Athenian democracy provided a fundamental and archetypal foundation for the contemporary political landscape we witness today. Socrates' vigilant efforts to democratize truth demonstrate an exorbitant level of consciousness that irrefutably exceeds that of the polis by comparative measure; Socrates renounced this sociopolitical structure to concentrate on the search for higher forms of truth. As a result, Socrates possessed the philosophical insight necessary to distinguish the difference between the true nature of justice and its respective antithetical form, injustice. By his philosophical nature, Socrates was seen as an “outside critic” to whom he wisely offered a more refined perspective of citizenship, called Socratic citizenship, or otherwise known as rational citizenship. The essence of its political model enables the socio-political rectification of perceived injustices in order to enable citizens to legitimately achieve happiness and live a good life through its perception model. This analysis posits the controversial idea that Socrates' aversion to the status quo established by the Athenian state is representative of a true paradigmatic citizen, as opposed to the aforementioned model of citizenship executed by Pericles. Simply put, the nature of progress as it relates to the state is based on rational thinking and a comprehensive understanding of the origins of recurring injustices. By this, we understand that philosophizing or philosophizing is an integral part of societal progression and the underlying reasoning that it is more important to be an external critic than that of an active participant. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Pericles' ideal civilization is characterized by community, relationships, and ultimately a society of friends. Building on this premise, Aristotelian theory dovetails with Pericles' ideology of citizenship which emphasizes humanity's intrinsic desires and the "good life" – ideals of the Athenian state which, according to Aristotle, are achievable in a State where a citizen “shares life”. the administration of justice and the exercise of functions” (33-34)3. Realizing the ideas mentioned above arguably neglects “free time” due to a focus on specialized work helping to support the individualized needs of each and every citizen. Pericles expands on this premise by stating: “here each individual is interested not only in his own affairs but also in those of the state.” It is essential to emphasize the Athenian concern for selfless dedication to specialized work for the good of others and that of the state. Furthermore, Pericles' ideological tenet of citizenship encompasses a state consisting of a social caste system, drastic gender inequality, slavery, and deprivation of legal rights, which highlights the oppressive nature that coincides with collectivized work. In this respect, Athenian democracy was more oppressive with regard to its hierarchical social structure and its imposed prerequisites for citizenship. Citizenship in Athens was restricted to men only and usually granted through inheritance within family lines. Women's civic participation did not include the right to vote; rather, they were often confined to a “housewife” role and were not allowed to move freely around the city like those who were more privileged. Lower status individuals within the stratified hierarchical structure were disadvantaged in terms ofconcerns the protection provided by the State and were considered only as workers. Pericles' predominant goal was to create a sense of community and serve one another. This statement is supported by his speech at the funeral oration, in which he states: "We make friends by doing good to others, not by receiving good from them. This makes our friendship all the more reliable that we want to keep alive the gratitude of those who are indebted to us by showing them continued goodwill.” In essence, this does not imply any degree of ineffectiveness in relation to Athenian democracy, but rather serves as a basis for explaining the injustice that Socrates witnessed due to interdependence and lack of opportunity in matters of social mobility. Nevertheless, Pericles' political model of citizenship prohibits the Athenian people from truly satisfying their underlying individual needs and the resulting human desire to discover that which inspires happiness within themselves. It is at this particular juncture that challenges rush to Pericles' model of citizenship and otherwise impinge on the philosophical and political premises that Socrates devotedly promotes and subscribes to. Socrates refrained from the city's collective actions because he perceived active participation as complicit submission to authority and tradition. Socrates is primarily obsessed with developing a consciousness toward which the soul experiences a philosophical ascent toward truth; this soulful transcendence is the catalyst behind the soul's metaphorical attunement to all that is true and good in the world. As a result, one can distinguish between what is just and what is unjust and act in accordance with these realizations in order to create a more perfect, adaptive and constantly evolving society. Socrates indiscriminately approached anyone who would listen to his public exposition of true ignorance, a notion that was a respective corollary of his concern with discovering higher truths forming his political model of Socratic citizenship. Socrates questions the men of Athens and says: "Do you think then that I would have survived so many years if I had been publicly active and if I had acted in a manner worthy of a good man, by coming help the right things and, as it should be, consider this as the most important? His incessant questioning of Athenian citizens flowed from an innate desire to provide the pioneering instruments necessary for individual discovery; ideals that refer to truth, wisdom and justice that are both conducive and essential to the progress of the state. The use of the word progression connotatively refers to the refinement of social norms, in order to create an inclusive society with considerable equality, as opposed to Pericles' model of citizenship which is systemically oppressive and unjust in nature. In his defense, Socrates says: "I will certainly not stop philosophizing, I will exhort you and I will explain it to all of you whom I meet, and I will speak exactly as I am accustomed." The preceding statement is contextually devoid of the origins of injustice, especially in a relatively successful democratic regime like that of Athens. Nevertheless, the main point of Socrates' criticism of Athenian democracy is that it relies on the intuition and whims of the majority. In other words, the democratic process is arguably devoid of rational thought or philosophical principles regarding governance and decision-making. Instead, in reference to the principle of justice, Socrates objects to the disorderly structure of the Athenian state by stating that ".