the unrestricted freedom to do everything that one likes.

为所欲为式的不受约束的自由
This seems in many ways to be quite far from the American democracy

由此可见它与美国民主有很多不同
based on constitutional government, systems of checks and balances,

美国民主的根基是宪政政府制衡体系
protection of individual rights, and so on.

个体权利的保护等等
The differences between Athens and Washington seem to be very far.

雅典和华盛顿相去甚远
And yet, in many ways, Socrates diagnoses very powerfully

很多方面苏格拉底诊断出了一个强大
an important condition of modern democratic life

重要的现代民主生活的先决条件
with which we are all familiar.

我们对此都再熟悉不过了
Consider this passage in Book VIII of the Republic

想想《理想国》第八卷
that I encourage you to read but is not on your assigned list.

我鼓励你们去读尽管没有列上单子
Socrates writes in Book VIII, 561c,

苏格拉底在第八卷561c处说
"speaking of the democratic soul,

"说到民主的灵魂