Freedom and Patronage in the Athenian Democracy

Herodotus, Politics and Athenian Democracy

As is widely accepted by scholars, much of the Western philosophies have roots in ancient Greece. Among the most influential ancient Greek figures is the “Father of History,” Herodotus of Halicarnassus, who chronicled the history of the Persian Wars. Herodotus used the Histories as a medium for discussing the political trends of his time, specifically those in Athens. Herodotus shared his views...

Aristotle, the “Good Life,” and Athenian Democracy:

A mathematical model of Athenian democracy

A mathematical model of Athenian democracy (594–322 BC) is considered. Indicators of popularity, universality, and goodness are introduced to evaluate single political leaders, the Assembly, the Council of 500, and magistrates. The popularity is a spatial characteristic of representativeness, the average percentage of the population whose opinion is represented on a number of questions. The uni...

Freedom to Choose and Democracy

Should democracts value the freedom to choose? Do people value facing distinct choices when they make collective decisions? ‘Autonomy’ – the ability to participate in the making of collective decisions – is a paltry notion of freedom. True, democrats must be prepared that their preferences may not be realized as the outcome of the collective choice. Yet democracy is impoverished when many peopl...

Positive Philosophy, Freedom and Democracy