First Democracy: The Challenge of an Ancient IdeaOxford University Press, 2006 M03 16 - 304 pages Americans have an unwavering faith in democracy and are ever eager to import it to nations around the world. But how democratic is our own "democracy"? If you can vote, if the majority rules, if you have elected representatives--does this automatically mean that you have a democracy? In this eye-opening look at an ideal that we all take for granted, classical scholar Paul Woodruff offers some surprising answers to these questions. Drawing on classical literature, philosophy, and history--with many intriguing passages from Sophocles, Aesop, and Plato, among others--Woodruff immerses us in the world of ancient Athens to uncover how the democratic impulse first came to life. The heart of the book isolates seven conditions that are the sine qua non of democracy: freedom from tyranny , harmony, the rule of law, natural equality, citizen wisdom, reasoning without knowledge, and general education. He concludes that a true democracy must be willing to invite everyone to join in government. It must respect the rule of law so strongly that even the government is not above the law. True democracy must be mature enough to accept changes that come from the people. And it must be willing to pay the price of education for thoughtful citizenship. If we learn anything from the story of Athens, Woodruff concludes, it should be this--never lose sight of the ideals of democracy. This compact, eloquent book illuminates these ideals and lights the way as we struggle to keep democracy alive at home and around the world. |
From inside the book
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Page x
... Athenians, who loved them or fought against them, and ended by contriving new ways to make them appeal to the whole ... Athenian democracy and the texts that reveal it to us now. My debt to him is enormous, both for my education in this ...
... Athenians, who loved them or fought against them, and ended by contriving new ways to make them appeal to the whole ... Athenian democracy and the texts that reveal it to us now. My debt to him is enormous, both for my education in this ...
Page 4
... Athenians were not held back by a written constitution. Instead they had an oral tradition that served mainly to preserve a handful of essential ideas, while the system itself could evolve through democratic processes. The Athenians ...
... Athenians were not held back by a written constitution. Instead they had an oral tradition that served mainly to preserve a handful of essential ideas, while the system itself could evolve through democratic processes. The Athenians ...
Page 5
... Athenians paid a price for this, as we shall see in the chapters that follow. When Athens betrayed its own ideas, it ... Athenians far better than the Athenians served democracy. Yes, democracy is hard to achieve; yes, it is impossible ...
... Athenians paid a price for this, as we shall see in the chapters that follow. When Athens betrayed its own ideas, it ... Athenians far better than the Athenians served democracy. Yes, democracy is hard to achieve; yes, it is impossible ...
Page 16
... Athenians improved their system over the years. They made jury selection even less vulnerable to corruption, for example. They could not have made such progress without having a fairly clear vision of what they were trying to achieve ...
... Athenians improved their system over the years. They made jury selection even less vulnerable to corruption, for example. They could not have made such progress without having a fairly clear vision of what they were trying to achieve ...
Page 17
... Athenians in their evolution towards democracy, and by illustrating their successes and failures with telling ... Athenian story shows the high cost of making mistakes about democracy. And we in our confusion, in the absence of a shared ...
... Athenians in their evolution towards democracy, and by illustrating their successes and failures with telling ... Athenian story shows the high cost of making mistakes about democracy. And we in our confusion, in the absence of a shared ...
Contents
3 | |
2 The Life and Death of Democracy | 21 |
3 Freedom from Tyranny And from Being a Tyrant | 61 |
4 Harmony | 81 |
5 The Rule of Law Nomos | 109 |
6 Natural Equality | 127 |
7 Citizen Wisdom | 145 |
8 Reasoning Without Knowledge | 171 |
Are Americans Ready for Democracy? | 211 |
Notes | 233 |
Dates | 258 |
Cast of Characters | 260 |
Guide to the Peloponnesian War | 263 |
Ancient Sources | 265 |
Scholarly Works Cited | 266 |
Index | 273 |
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able Aeschylus ancient argument army Assembly Athenians Athens attack believe better bring called chapter citizens civil claim common court culture debate decisions defeat defend democracy democratic elected empire enemies equal expert failed failure fear follow force freedom gave give Greece Greek harmony human ideal ideas interests issues judgment justice keep killed kind king knew knowledge known lead leaders lines live majority means nature never Nicias ordinary party Pericles Persian philosophers Plato play poets political poor practice probably Protagoras question reason requires reverence rhetoric rich rule of law shared shows side slaves Socrates Sparta speak speakers speech Syracuse teach teachers thing Thirty thought Thucydides trial tyranny tyrant United vote wealth wisdom women wrong young