The Ancient Sources Of Democracy
One of Winston Churchill’s most famous paradoxes reads that democracy is the worst possible form of government, except for all the others that have ever been tried. Historians claim the democratic system was first tried out by the Ancient Greek citizens of the city-state of Athens in the early sixth century BC. Before that, absolutely all the states known to scholars had been despotic. Humanity has always remembered the experience of Athens, the golden dream of the past. Still, by today’s measure, it was a very small state: it numbered not more than 14,000 voting citizens in the time of its flourishing. Moreover, Athenian democracy existed for a relatively short period of time. Consider a few comments on the political system of Athens made by ancient philosophers and orators.
“Our system of government does not copy the order of other lands; we show an example to others rather than follow somebody else. Our system is called democracy because it is guided by the interests of the majority, not the minority. Under the law, all have equal rights, and what matters in public affairs is not the support of a certain party but the capabilities of man. There has never been a situation when an individual who could be of benefit for the state was deprived of this chance due to his poverty... We love beauty in combination with simplicity as well as learning, without undue weakness of spirit. We combine boldness with the ability to ponder the things we shall do. Conversely, many other people draw boldness only from ignorance, while reflection makes them indecisive... We regard wealth as an instrument for political activity rather than luxury to boast of. As to poverty, all that raises our contempt is the human reluctance to make efforts to eliminate such poverty” (from a speech by Pericles).
“All you Athenians know very well that there are three types of government system: tyranny, oligarchy, and democracy. The first two are governed by public leaders and the third by a set laws. When laws are obeyed, democracy works. Bearing this in mind, you should hate all those who want to put forward lawless proposals” (Demosthenes).
“The Athenians would ostracize, oust from the state, public officials suspected of the intention to seize more power than their offices allow. The Popular Assembly used to make a decision by a simple majority of votes according to the number of clay tablets with the culprit’s name inscribed. The condemned was given ten days to settle his private affairs and then forced to leave the country for ten years. Ostracism was a good way to get rid of the people who with too much power and ambition.” (Philochorus).
“Our ancestors thought it wrong to believe that good citizens are born where better laws function. For the majority of people is not guided by laws but copy the behavior of those among whom they were raised and live. So the quantity and quality of laws is, rather, the indication of troubles in the state. Ill-mannered people always have enough nerve to transgress the best laws. As the good life of a state is formed by human habits, not by resolutions, the Athenians first of all cared that people would not do punishable things. They would leave punishment to external enemies” (Isocrates).
“I disapprove of the choice the Athenians made: they opted for a system of government whereby the common people live better than the nobles. But I do approve that, having chosen a system, the Athenians successfully stand by it, although all their neighbors consider this system abnormal. For the Athenian idea of justice is that all citizens could have access to public offices and that each could have the right to voice his opinion... Some are surprised that the Athenians give preference to the common, poor, and democrats in general, rather than to nobles. There is nothing surprising here: it is in this way that they preserve the democracy they have chosen. The point is when the poor and those of the people achieve well-being and the number of such people is on the rise, this strengthens democracy. It even occurs in Athens that public interests are sincerely defended by aristocrats and rich people. Few will deny that the common people are the incarnation of ignorance, low discipline, and baseness. Yet, the Athenians understood that what prompts the poor to do shameful actions is ignorance which again results from poverty. Any Athenian can be deprived of his civic honor, that is, all civil rights, for lawbreaking. This heaviest ever punishment is meted out for such crimes as failure to execute one’s office, perjury in a court of law, breach of military discipline, proposals at the Popular Assembly motions running counter to law, and disrespectful attitude toward one’s own parents... As to less important things, let us note that, owing to their maritime power and the ever-growing relations with various nations, the Athenians have established very special customs. For example, they borrow one thing or another from every dialect they happen to hear. At the same time, like all the other Greeks, they use only their own vernacular, lead their own distinctive way of life, and wear their own distinctive clothes. The Athenians have adopted many things they borrowed not only from other Greeks but even from barbarians” (Xenophon).
PS. How long ago all these words were said and all these conclusions made. Yet, many peoples still remain among the barbarian despots.
