1. Political Thinking POL 161
Erik Rankin
D&B 14-25

2. The Democratic Ideal
No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.
Winston Churchill
Democracy seems to be the greatest form of government that exists
This however is quite debatable
Democracy is NOT an ideology but it is an ideal
Democracy literally means “rule by the people”
This brings up a number of questions

3. The Democratic Ideal Who are the people? How are they to rule?
This is where the understanding of a single definition goes out the window!
Minus fascism and Nazism, most ideologies agree that democracy is the Ideal that society should strive for
Why?

4. The Democratic Ideal Democracy has not always been seen as the ideal
Democracy first came to be used as a word in ancient Greece
It evolved due to a fight for power between the demos (common people) and the aristocracy (rule by the best)
Pericles offered one of the first defenses of democracy in his “Funeral Oration”

5. The Democratic Ideal
Then Plato and Aristotle spoke out against democracy
They believe it would lead to a selfish or corrupt form of government
Aristotle referred to it as “mobocracy”
He did however go on to say that there are desirable features in democracy
Aristotle felt a tweak was in order, he felt the best form was that of a polity or “republic”

6. The Democratic Ideal
The “republic” view distributes power into the hands of common and elites
This is the system of checks and balances that evolves
This would be a popular government because “the people” will have a say
But a republic is not necessarily a democracy
In a republic power is still wielded and tempered by a few powerful elites

7. The Democratic Ideal
There have been many supporters of the republican form of government
We will specifically be reading Machiavelli, John Adams, Tocqueville, and John Stuart Mill
The big question: How democratic is the United States? Scale of 1-10.

8. Democracy & Despotism- Euripides
This a part of a play first performed in 422 B.C.
There is a clear contrast here between democracy and despotism
Euripides embraces the ideals behind rule by the people and condemns despotic governments
The selection shows an interaction between a Theban Messenger and Theseus

9. Democracy & Despotism- Euripides
The messenger has a difficult time believing that people can rule themselves
This difficult for a person from a land where all humans submit to a ruler
Theseus then fires back talking about the power of democracy compared to a tyrannical ruler
He shows the conception of freedom in democratic terms: think triadic model!
He then delivers the proverbial slap in the face and orders the messenger to return as a fool

10. Funeral Oration - Pericles
Pericles delivered this speech following the Peloponnesian War
He commemorates the sacrifice of the dead Athenians who fought to uphold their ideal of democracy
Delivered in 430 B.C.

11. Funeral Oration - Pericles
The first part of the speech focuses on the contribution of the democratic constitution of Athens to the good of Athenian citizens
On the Athenian way of thinking, a good political community is one in which citizens live a good (happy, fulfilled) life.
The implied contrast is with Sparta and other such regimes in which a good regime has ends that are independent of the good life of citizens. Such regimes demand that citizens sacrifice their own good for the success or glory of the political community.

12. Funeral Oration - Pericles
The Athenian polis contributes to the good of individual citizens in a number of ways. Life is free and easy.
In private life, everyone is equal before the laws.
In public life, equality of opportunity is found
This is important in a democracy because political equality is impossible if poor not able to take part in government.
And it contributes to the good of the polis by allowing it to draw upon the talents of abilities of all citizens.
Legal restrictions on what citizens may or must do are relatively few.
Citizens are tolerance of each other doing what they like.

13. Funeral Oration - Pericles
Tension between Aristocrats and Democrats
How? (p.17 left side bottom paragraph) read
Public spirit v. Private Spirit
How is this made?
p. 18 middle of paragraph (An Athenian citizen…)
Who was a citizen in the Athenian Democracy?
Think!
So was this a democracy?
Unpopular views were dealt with by death (Socrates) or by ostracism (ostrakon- shell)

14. Funeral Oration - Pericles
Many ways to refresh the mind from the burdens of business: contests (including dramatic contests), religious sacrifices.
Note that this is one of the few mentions of religion in the speech.
Economic benefits of living in the relative wealth of Athens: "elegance of private establishments," produce from all over the world.
Education of Athenians is not a painful discipline (as in Sparta) but encourages freedom and "courageous habits."
Love of beautiful things found in Athens, including philosophy.

15. Funeral Oration - Pericles
Second part of the speech focuses on how democratic institutions serve the common good and, in particular, leads individual citizens to choose to serve the good of Athens.
They do this primarily in two places: political discussion in the assembly and military service
In Athens, individuals are free to pursue their own ends and freely choose to serve the common good.

16. Funeral Oration - Pericles
The importance of action and speech in the funeral oration.
Pericles denigrates the importance of his speech at two points. He does this
To emphasize collective over individual action since speech in general is more likely to be the product of individuals.
To ward off envy at his prominence.
Yet, at the same time, he points to the importance of speech.
He turns his speech from a description of the immediate actions of those who died to a consideration of the abstract principles under which Athens lives.
The great war heroes of Athens continue to honored today only because of the work of great writers, such as Thucydides.

17. Democratic Judgment and the “Middling” Constitution - Aristotle
The multitude does have some claims to rule.
Joined together, in certain areas the multitude may have more virtue than one excellent man.
The many are good judges of things such as music and poetry. By looking at the areas in which the multitude has the advantage in judging one can determine the areas in which the multitude should have authority.

18. Democratic Judgment and the “Middling” Constitution - Aristotle
Allowing the multitude to take the highest governing offices is unsafe, but depriving them of all authority will surely lead to rebellion or at least serious factional conflict.
Therefore the multitude should share in deliberating and judging i.e. choosing officials and auditing them.
At the same time, however, it can be argued that those who know how to rule are also those who have the best knowledge of how to choose who should rule (i.e. Plato’s ideals, is this democratic?)

19. Democratic Judgment and the “Middling” Constitution - Aristotle
“this is the political science of which the good is justice, in other words, the common interest."
Justice is considered to be a certain sort of equality, but what remains to be determined is what sort of equality and equality in what things
The well-born, the free and the wealthy deserve some sort of honor.

20. Democratic Judgment and the “Middling” Constitution - Aristotle
The virtue and vice of a city or regime can be examined much like the virtue or vice of an individual
Virtue is a mean and the happy life is one in accordance with virtue.
There are three parts of each city: the very wealthy, the very poor, and those in the middle.
Since the mean is the best, the middling element of the city is the best part.
In a democracy the many are poor, in a polity the many are in the middle

21. Democratic Judgment and the “Middling” Constitution - Aristotle
It is best if the citizens are equal and similar persons, and this is the case with the middling elements
The best political partnership is therefore the one that depends on the middling ground and that a regime in which the middle element is proportionately larger compared to other two elements is the most capable of being well-governed

23. Democratic Judgment and the “Middling” Constitution - Aristotle
The middling element does not engage in factional conflict, and therefore cities with a larger middling element are more stable
The best legislators come from among the middling element
Is this true today?