Democracy In Ancient Greece

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After reviewing the section “Athenian Democracy” in your textbook, think about the similarities between ancient democracy and modern American democracy.

Why do you think a representative system of government developed in Greece?
And why do you think over two thousand years later the founders of the United States chose to copy elements of Greek democracy? With 2 more references.

 

Sample Solution

Democracy in ancient Greece served as one of the first forms of self-rule government in the ancient world. The system and ideas employed by the ancient Greeks had profound influences on how democracy developed, and its impact on the formation of the U.S. government. Athenian democracy developed around the 6th century BC in the Greek city-state (known as a polis) of Athens, comprising the city of Athens and the surrounding territory of Attica. The development of representative government in Greece was likely due to the fact that the Greek city-states were decentralized.

Robert Filmer and Thomas Hobbes were two of the biggest proponents for absolute monarchy of their generation. While both were in favor of absolutism as well as total control given to the respective sovereign, the basis of their reasoning differs fundamentally. Robert Filmer claimed that absolute monarchy comes from the patriarchal rule, sanctioned by God himself. Filmer believes Adam was the first patriarch, and was given authority over his children, with each successive family following this sort of tier system(FIlmer 6-7). Accordingly, Filmer recognizes that families and towns will eventually grow, making it difficult to trace or decide lineage of the original patriarch, and in these situations, patriarchs may come together and decide on a sovereign. Filmer says that this decision is not really a decision of the people, but rather one of the “universal” patriarch, God himself(Filmer 11). Filmer uses this patriarchal tier system as his justification for absolute monarchy, as this is what God prescribed when giving Adam and succeeding patriarchs authority over their respective families. Monarchs should be given absolute power because it is the will of God in being granted authority as a patriarch, and citizens are essentially descendants of this patriarch, so it is their god-given duty to obey. Additionally, the Sovereign is bound by divine law and law of previous ruling patriarchs, and those who disobey will be rightfully punished harshly by God(Filmer 11).

While Filmer argues for Absolutism on the basis of God, Thomas Hobbes, another absolutist proponent, argues this idea as an alternative to the “state of nature” in which man lived in before organized government. This state of nature was one of instability, and full of anarchy, as men are naturally self-interested(Hobbes 112). Hobbes believes that governments were formed to begin with to bring stability to this state of nature. The sovereign and the people have a sort of contract ensuring security and protection, and this security may only be achieved through total obedience to the sovereign(Hobbes Chap. 30). In obeying the sovereign, the people are in theory obeying themselves. The sovereign is the sole legislator, and it is the people’s contractual duty to obey(Hobbes 176). Hobbes recognizes that a sovereign may make decisions unfavorable to som

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