Week 2: Classical Democracy Athens

- 4th – 6th century

Social and Economic structure of Athens
- Population consisted of adult males around 35000 to 45000.
- Dominated by commerce and trade. Agricultural was originally the most
effective way of making money.
- The money economy formed through Athens being a mercantile trading
power instead.
- Rising commercial class – they challenged the aristocracy who were
members of the warrior elite – they believed in values of the Homeric
age.
- Economics becomes important in terms of a maritime power – they
started to trade commodities.
- Maritime power was an important concept to the Greeks – large reason
for their democracy to exist.
- People started to make profit within society – society was largely
dominated by artisans, architects, builders, potters’ farmers.
- The historical development led to the formation of the Polis – the
Athenian city state. The growth of Polis was going to adapt alongside
the quick social changes
- There was a direct democracy leading to sovereignty too. The emergence
of democracy as a result led to the discipline of politics to develop.
Citizens could now increase their political economy by joining the slave
economy.
- Athens becoming an
Athenian democracy
- Good example of the development of democracy
-
- Democracy is the rule by people. Demos means people
- Citizenship was achieved through level status. Males were able to
achieve citizenship whereas women, children and slaves were not
allowed citizenship.
- This meant the citizens were quite varied ranging form people who lived
off the land, city dwellers, poor and rich people.
- Roughly 10 percent of the population were actually involved in politics –
people did not have leisure time.
 - The growth of literacy levels meant there was a sense of identity and
solidarity – this was due to people being administrated and resources
being delegated.
- Community was however divided into insiders who were classed as
citizens and outsiders.
- The first democratic polity came about the mid 6th century in Cios – a
constitution was made and Athens was seen as the pinnacle of
democracy.
Thucydides : The history of Peloponnesian war
- Collision of war between Athens and sparta
- This refers to the 431 BC – 404BC conflict between a coalition led by
Sparta, ending with the latter party’s victory
- Thucyidies tried to understand how Athens self destructed
- The persian empire crumbled under the absurdity of tyranny and
despotism – but all the decisions to enter the war were democratically
taken
- Secularisation of history: gods are not the ones to blame
- Human passions and limitations are to blame – arrogance, greed and
blindness
Ideals and Aims of Athenian democracy
- Their main ideas were regarding equality, liberty and respect for the
law and justice.
- Aristotle actually opposed democracy calling it a transgression of good
government. He said liberty and equality are inextricable linked
Main criteria of liberty and freedom
- Ruling and being ruled in return – numerical equality as in equal share
in ruling without the citizens can’t be sovereign.
- Everyone could be given an equal chance to hold office and equality
which is the practical and moral basis of liberty. Citizens can hence get
money
- Living as one chooses – can be seen as contradictory to liberty as one
persons freedom should not interfere with someone elses’s and this calls
for some kind of constraint if it does
- Classical democracy does imply liberty which implies strict political
equality
-
 - What were the basic features of Athenian democracy
- Met over 40 times a year and there were 6000 citizen quorum.
- All big issues came before the assembly to be deliberated
- Hmonia (unaminity) – the way decisions were made and problems the
way decisions were made and the problems resolved because of common
interest and the vote decided by a majority of votes. A consensus wanted
to be achieved through a reasoned argument.
- Council of 500 for proposing and organising public decisions +
committee of 50 serving or a month with a president holding office for 1
day
- Executive functions were done by magistrates which were elected for a
year
- Rotating tasks and direct tasks avoided corruption and led to
accountability

Criticisms of Athenian democracy

- There were very exclusive and restricted citizenship.
- Women had no rights hence it was quite a patriarchal society that was
based on slave labour.
- Makes us wonder if we can refer to Athens a democracy. Finly says we
need to appreciate both the achievements and limitations of Athenian
democracy.
- The limitations aren’t enough to reject them as a democracy.
Plato Attacks Athenian Democracy
- Uses Socrates dialogue to question the Athenians politically, socially, and
morally
 Forced people to think critically which meant he was put to death
as he was seen as a threat
 He really questioned what constitutes a good life
- Plato rejected democracy and instead saw a system where moral
principles formed the foundation
- He had a vison where only philosophers could rule as they had sufficient
wisdom
- Gave a ship allegory – the ship was the Athenian state and the captain
was considered to be the Athenian people whom own the state
 - Plato describes the captain as deaf, short sighted and having a little
knowledge of navigation
- The sailors were considered to be politicians and statemen – they wanted
to take over from the captain whilst fighting with each other to gain
power – they manipulate the Athenian people. They don’t know how to
navigate the ship either and are only concerned with themselves
- The good pilot is the only person who has knowledge about navigation
– he is the philosopher and is capable but is abused by the sailors.
- Plato did not see liberty and political equality in a good light either as it is
implied people can do whatever they want
- Society is supposed to command a natural hierarchy where
philosophers are at the top – followed by auxiliaries and business class
( workers).
- Philosophers were regarded as the guardians.
- CAVE ALLEGORY – people are like prisoners chained to a wall of a
cave and there is fire behind them, all they can see is the wall of the cave.
Puppeteers can walk on a parapet between fire and prisoners. What the
prisoners see and hear are shadows and echoes cast by objects they can’t
see. One prisoner is let out sees the truth and tells the others but they’re
sceptical,
- The philosopher sees the truth and tells the others, but they are
sceptical.
- The Athenian people don’t want to see it and aren’t capable. They’re
manipulated by images on the wall just like how politicians manipulate
people. Only philosophers can see through appearances and can think
critically so that they can rule.

Summary of Plato’s critique of democracy

- Democracy puts power in the hands of people who don’t know how to
use it. They’re usually ignorant, stupid or both.
 - Society should promote the interests of every member of society and the
people who can do this are philosophers.
- If these people are allowed to rule social justice will never be achieved
- To get justice the intellectual elite need to be able to rule and the only
people who know best and are capable of this are guardians.
Pericle’s Funeral Oration
- Citizenship – direct participation by all
- Citizens are responsible to create and sustain a common life
- The Athenian demos has sovereign power
- Laws properly created within this framework of public life are
legitimately obeyed
- Public deliberation: ideas needed to be debated
- Isegoria: an equal right to speak in the sovereign assembly
- Participation unimpeded by poverty
- Civic virtue: no clear distinction between the private and the public
- Merger of ethics and politics: individuals can only be fulfilled as
citizens
- Citizens has rights and obligations through the citizen: their positions
as a public official affirm their capacity for autonomy
- Athenian democracy had a free and open political life where citizens
can develop their skills and capacities
- The sacrifice of the Atheninans is seen more. Praise worthy because
unlike Spartans they are giving up more
Flourishing through the Polis
- A common concern in ancient Greek through that is mirrorerd in
historical and philosophical texts as well as tragedies was te
destruction of the Polis
- Beyond the material, this reflected the velief that the polise is the
means for actualising human flourishing and outside its bounds there
is the danger of man becoming a beast

Aristotle’s Politicis – 335 – 323 BC

- Democracy: a transgression of a good government + linking liberty
with equality
 - In aristotle’s account for classical democracy entails liberty which in
turn entails strict political equality
What are the criteria for liberty
1) A to rule and be ruled
2) Living as one chooses