[AAACE-NLA] The Glory of Greece

[George Demetrion]

Andrea,

 

I agree that if you freeze the thought of democracy at a single line of
development, one would not be accounting for the evolution of the
concept.  From what I remember (I was there, but was very young) ancient
Athenian political culture was democratic based on its notion of
citizenship, namely Greek men, I think of a certain basic property
class.  There was a popular assembly which was elected by citizens, in
which, obviously, a lot of people were ruled out.  Clearly, by late 20th
century standards, this was not much of a democracy, but one might argue
that it would be the height of presentist hubris to place such a
standard on a political phenomenon that is 2500 years old.  The fact
that there was a constitution, representative government, reasoned
political discourse, including sharp polemics does substantively speak
the political foundations of western constitutional government.

 

It's possible we are saying the same thing. I agree that what existed in
ancient Athens is very far from the ideal of what a democratic political
culture should be--an ideal that eludes the reality of contemporary US
political culture, too, one might argue.  Still, without the foundations
there wouldn't even be a basis for a discussion of such a phenomenon as
democracy as the concept, emerging from its Greek etymology would not
have even been invented.

 

Remember, this is my culture I'm defending.

 

Socrates the Younger

 

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