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Despite Nietzsche's criticisms to Plato's philosophy, both philosophers have in common the same interest and the same distrust about what democracy is and means. This paper explores how both philosophers understand democracy not only as a political system but also and mostly as a specific set of values and a particular way of thinking, desiring and living. It also explores their respective use and understanding of genealogy in their reflection on democracy and the democratic man. ; Despite Nietzsche's criticisms to Plato's philosophy, both philosophers have in common the same interest and the same distrust about what democracy is and means. This paper explores how both philosophers understand democracy not only as a political system but also and mostly as a specific set of values and a particular way of thinking, desiring and living. It also explores their respective use and understanding of genealogy in their reflection on democracy and the democratic man.

Ce n'est pas leur critique du régime démocratique qui rapproche Platon et Nietzsche mais un même diagnostic : la démocratie est l'avant-dernière étape d'une déchéance dont la dernière est la tyrannie. Un tel diagnostic ne se comprend qu'à la condition de rejeter les interprétations déterministes du livre VIII de la République et de faire appel aux concepts nietzschéens de généalogie, provenance ( Herkunft ), type. C'est ce même schème qui explique chez Platon le passage d'un extrême à l'autre – de l'homme démocratique au tyran – et qui chez Nietzsche annonce le destin de l'Européen moderne : son nihilisme passif engendrera un animal grégaire, un « dernier homme ».