Essay on Athenian definition of democracy - 1213 Words

Discuss the Athenian definition of democracy. Is the city state the only kind of state in which true democracy can exist? What happens to democracy when it is applied to a society with a large dispersed population? What are other examples of democratic societies besides Athens? Compare and contrast Athenian democracy with American democracy. Is the United States a democracy in the classical sense of the word? nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The ancient Greek word quot;demokratiaquot; was ambiguous. It met literally quot;people powerquot;. But who were the people to whom the power of the long? Was it all the people -all duly qualified citizens? Or only some of the people -- the masses? The Greek word demos could mean either. There is a†¦show more content†¦The Athenian oligarchs found it impossible to maintain themselves in power, after just a year democracy was restored. The restored Athenian democracy flourished stably and effectively for another 80 years. Finally, in 322, the kingdom of Macedon terminated one of the most successful experiments ever in citizen self-government. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The architects of the first democracies of the modern era in the United States claimed a line of descent from classical Greek demokratia - quot;government of the people by the peoplequot; as Abraham Lincoln put it. There are 3 major differences in the Greeks system of democracy and in the United States; scale, participation, and eligibility. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In reference to the scale there were no proper population censuses in ancient Athens, the most accurate guess today puts the total population of 4th century Athens at around 250,000, this includes men, women and children, the free and unfree, and enfranchised and disenfranchised. Of the 250,000 about 30,000 were fully paid citizens - the adult males of Athenian birth and full status. Of the 30,000 about 5000 might regularly attend one or more meetings of the popular assembly, of which there were at least 40 a year and Aristotles day. 6000 citizens were selected to fill the annual panel of potential jurymen who would staff the popular jury courts (a typical size of the jury was 501).Show MoreRelatedEssay about Platos Concept of Democracy and Justice643 Words   |  3 Pagesexamines the concept of democracy and justice. Thrasymachus, the Sophist declares that justice is the advantage of the stronger, whereas Socrates argues that justice is wisdom, something go od and desirable. According to this in Athenian times, a democracy could not survive with out a system of justice in place. This still holds true in the contemporary Western world. Throughout the dialogue of book one, Socrates, Cephalus, Polemarchus and Thrasymachus are trying to reach a definition of justice. CephalusRead MoreWhat are the Unique Traits of Athenian Democracy? Essay918 Words   |  4 Pages 29 September 2013 What are the Unique Traits of Athenian Democracy? There are several traits that make Athenian democracy unique not only in the ancient world but also in the modern world as well. For the first time in recorded history, citizens had a say in what laws were to govern them . Democracy was an unknown and alien concept in the ancient world, and Athenians knew that their political process was different in and they were intensely proud of it. â€Å"Our form of government does not enterRead MoreThe Founding Fathers Of The United States1705 Words   |  7 PagesBy definition, democracy is a type of political system in which all members share the same level of power, but it is also the framework for the government of multiple countries including the United States of America. Athenian democracy, created near 400 B.C. in Athens, Greece, was a direct system where participating citizens had the opportunity to vote directly on legislative and executive bills. 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