3.3 Ancient Democracy (TTO-1)

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3.3: Ancient Democracy

Goals

• The student should be able to explain what Democracy is
  
• The student should be able to describe what Ancient Athenian democracy was like
  
• The student should be able to compare the Athenian democracy to our modern democracy
  

What would be your perfect society? Make sure you include something about how your society is governed.
Who governs your society? 1 person/ a small group/ everyone? What is your criteria for this? (age/heritage/skills)

What is democracy?

The literal meaning comes from the Greek language=

• Demos = people
  
• Kratos = the power to govern themselves
  

→ the people have the power to govern themselves.

In Ancient Greece Athens was a democracy.

Demos = the people

In Athens, only citizens could be involved in politics. They had to fulfil a certain obligation first.

After the lawmaker Solon introduced new laws, free men were also allowed to participate in politics. 

 

In Athens, there were people in favour of democracy, but there were also people that were against democracy. 

Is Plato in favour or against democracy?

“If we need construction work to be done, we ask architects for advice. If we need ships to be built, we hire people specialized in building ships. The same is for any other project. However, when there needs to be a discussion about the government of the city, everyone gets a chance to say something: carpenters, smiths, sailors, the poor and the rich” (4th century BC)

Plato is against democracy

Plato is in favour of democracy

Homework

Do the following questions: 1, 2 and 4 of paragraph 3.3

Which is the fairer:
Allotment or election. Give an argument for your answer

Ancient Athens

• A direct democracy: people can vote directly on laws.
• Only free-born Athenian men were allowed to vote.
  
• In Athens, someone is banished every year by ways of ostracism
  

The modern-day Netherlands

• An indirect democracy: people can vote for people that will make decisions for them.
  
• All people from the age of 18 and upwards are allowed to vote. They need to have the Dutch nationality or a residence permit.
  
• In the Netherlands, we can’t banish someone from the Netherlands.