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 10
... is crucial to democracy is how issues and candidates are chosen and presented for voting. In ancient Greece, citizens of both Athens and Sparta were permitted to vote in their 10 introduction: democracy and its doubles.
... is crucial to democracy is how issues and candidates are chosen and presented for voting. In ancient Greece, citizens of both Athens and Sparta were permitted to vote in their 10 introduction: democracy and its doubles.
Page 11
... citizens had no say over what would be put to a vote. In Athens, they did. The de facto rule in Sparta (as in the army Homer describes outside Troy) is that common people could vote, but not speak, in an assembly. Opponents of democracy ...
... citizens had no say over what would be put to a vote. In Athens, they did. The de facto rule in Sparta (as in the army Homer describes outside Troy) is that common people could vote, but not speak, in an assembly. Opponents of democracy ...
Page 13
... citizens in governance. These go together. Any kind of tyranny—including majority rule—keeps some citizens out of government. In national government, unrestrained majority rule may be even less benign than it is in the English ...
... citizens in governance. These go together. Any kind of tyranny—including majority rule—keeps some citizens out of government. In national government, unrestrained majority rule may be even less benign than it is in the English ...
Page 14
... citizens who elected them. You will have been told that ancient democracy was direct democracy—that it worked like a New England town meeting. This is a common mistake. First Democracy depended on representative bodies for many of its ...
... citizens who elected them. You will have been told that ancient democracy was direct democracy—that it worked like a New England town meeting. This is a common mistake. First Democracy depended on representative bodies for many of its ...
Page 15
... citizens who had met certain conditions, and were drawn equally from the ten tribes. Such a body would be too large to bribe; moreover, its size would make it fairly representative of the citizen body as a whole. step, I shall propose ...
... citizens who had met certain conditions, and were drawn equally from the ten tribes. Such a body would be too large to bribe; moreover, its size would make it fairly representative of the citizen body as a whole. step, I shall propose ...
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