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Democracy

DEFINITION Democracy is a constitution in which power comes from the people, is exercised by the people and serves their interests. Its basic characteristic is that decisions are taken by vote of the citizens, in direct democracy, or of some of their representatives, in representative democracy

ΕTYMOLOGY The etymology of the word is found in the synonyms “demos” (the set or assembly of people who have political rights) and “state” (power, authority, sovereignty). The term was coined in the 5th century BC, in classical Greece, and was used in contrast to monarchy, aristocracy and oligarchy. Today, in the vernacular, it is usually used in contrast to the term dictatorship BIRTH OF DEMOCRACY Democracy as a word and as a constitution was born and established in Ancient Athens. The basic principles of the democratic constitution of Ancient Greece were egalitarianism, meritocracy and freedom of speech. HISTORY OF DEMOCRACY ♦ In ancient Greece there was direct democracy. Political power at that time was exercised by all Athenian citizens. The participation of citizens in the decisions of the assembly was universal. ♦ In Rome, after the abolition of the institution of kingship, democracy was established. Here we do not have the direct participation of the citizens in public affairs, as in ancient Greece, but it was the senate that made decisions concerning the city of Rome. Over time, democracy was abolished in Rome and the monarchy was established. ♦ During the Middle Ages, there can be no talk of democracy and democratic freedoms, because during this period of time absolute monarchy is the dominant constitution in all countries. The people have no power. The sole regulator of the country’s affairs was the monarch. ♦ The French Revolution that broke out in 1789 because of the oppression of the people and the lack of participation of the bourgeoisie in the decisions of the government of the country they lived in overthrew the monarchy and established democracy. ♦ In England, without abolishing the monarchy, representative government was established after many and various social upheavals. ♦ Finally, modern democratic polities developed through stormy and hard social struggles. They are a difficult form of government both to establish and to maintain. They require the activation of the citizen and constant vigilance on his or her part. DEMOCRACY IN GREECE ♦ Direct Democracy ♦ The First Greek Republic (1821-1828) ♦ The first period of the Reign of the King (1864- 1922) ♦ The Second Greek Republic (1924- 1935) ♦ The Second Period of the Reigning Republic (1935- 1936) – ♦ The Third Period of the Reigning Republic (1949- 1967) ♦ The Third Greek Republic (1974- present) ♦ Democracy was restored in our country in July 1974. (It was preceded by a dictatorship from 21/4/1967 that lasted 7 years). ♦ Since June 11, 1975, with the adoption of the new Constitution (Article 1 of the Constitution), the constitution of our country is the Presidential Parliamentary Republic. ♦ In particular: It is a democracy because all powers derive from the people, exist for them and are exercised as the Constitution stipulates, in accordance with the principle of popular sovereignty. – It is a Presidential Republic, because the head of state is the President of the Republic, a Greek citizen elected by the Parliament (the House of Representatives). – It is Parliamentary, because the people exercise power through their representatives (MPs) in Parliament, from which the Government, which governs our country and elects the President of the Republic, comes TYPES OF DEMOCRACY ♦ A. Direct or Participatory Democracy ♦ Β. Representative democracy ♦ Modern representative democracies are divided into : α) Reigning Parliamentary Democracy: – The government elected by the people takes policy decisions. – The king is the head of state and even hereditary with a symbolic role, while politically he is irresponsible, i.e. he has no real political powers (Great Britain, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Spain). b) Presidential parliamentary democracy: – In this case also the government elected by the people takes the political decisions. – The President of the Republic is the head of state. – The President of the Republic is the head of the country. He is elected by the Parliament and has no real political powers (Greece, Italy, Federal Republic of Germany). c) Presidential democracy: – The President of the Republic is both the Head of State and the President of the Government, which is not elected by the people but is formed by the President of the Republic. – The President of the Republic is elected either directly by the people or by a special body of electors and has substantial political powers (USA, Cyprus, Russia). A proper democratic constitution must look after the common good, while recognising and protecting the rights of its human citizens. If Athens managed to reach such a point of prosperity in the time of Pericles, it was because the relationship between city and citizen was intertwined. A responsible and well-educated citizen places the good of the whole above his own interest because he understands that if the whole does not prosper, in the long run he will not prosper either. And above all, he understands that his own contribution is most important. – Democracy needs responsible citizens. Citizens who take their share of responsibility for what happens, citizens who understand that they have not only rights but also obligations and who understand correctly the spirit of volunteering as a selfless contribution to society. – The state must respect its citizens and look after the well-being of all. It should give everyone, without discrimination, the right to be educated and to develop as individuals. Provide opportunities for all and be based on meritocracy.   DEMOCRACY IS CALLED THOUKYDIDIS Ἱστορίαι (2.37.1-2.39.4) ΘΟΥΚΥΔΙΔΗΣ: Ἱστορίαι [2.37.1] «Χρώμεθα γὰρ πολιτείᾳ οὐ ζηλούσῃ τοὺς τῶν πέλας νόμους, παράδειγμα δὲ μᾶλλον αὐτοὶ ὄντες τισὶν ἢ μιμούμενοι ἑτέρους. καὶ ὄνομα μὲν διὰ τὸ μὴ ἐς ὀλίγους ἀλλ᾽ ἐς πλείονας οἰκεῖν δημοκρατία κέκληται· μέτεστι δὲ κατὰ μὲν τοὺς νόμους πρὸς τὰ ἴδια διάφορα πᾶσι τὸ ἴσον, κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἀξίωσιν, ὡς ἕκαστος ἔν τῳ εὐδοκιμεῖ, οὐκ ἀπὸ μέρους τὸ πλέον ἐς τὰ κοινὰ ἢ ἀπ᾽ ἀρετῆς προτιμᾶται, οὐδ᾽ αὖ κατὰ πενίαν, ἔχων γέ τι ἀγαθὸν δρᾶσαι τὴν πόλιν, ἀξιώματος ἀφανείᾳ κεκώλυται. [2.37.2] ἐλευθέρως δὲ τά τε πρὸς τὸ κοινὸν πολιτεύομεν καὶ ἐς τὴν πρὸς ἀλλήλους τῶν καθ᾽ ἡμέραν ἐπιτηδευμάτων ὑποψίαν, οὐ δι᾽ ὀργῆς τὸν πέλας, εἰ καθ᾽ ἡδονήν τι δρᾷ, ἔχοντες, οὐδὲ ἀζημίους μέν, λυπηρὰς δὲ τῇ ὄψει ἀχθηδόνας προστιθέμενοι. [2.37.3] ἀνεπαχθῶς δὲ τὰ ἴδια προσομιλοῦντες τὰ δημόσια διὰ δέος μάλιστα οὐ παρανομοῦμεν, τῶν τε αἰεὶ ἐν ἀρχῇ ὄντων ἀκροάσει καὶ τῶν νόμων, καὶ μάλιστα αὐτῶν ὅσοι τε ἐπ᾽ ὠφελίᾳ τῶν ἀδικουμένων κεῖνται καὶ ὅσοι ἄγραφοι ὄντες αἰσχύνην ὁμολογουμένην φέρουσιν. [2.38.1] «Καὶ μὴν καὶ τῶν πόνων πλείστας ἀναπαύλας τῇ γνώμῃ ἐπορισάμεθα, ἀγῶσι μέν γε καὶ θυσίαις διετησίοις νομίζοντες, ἰδίαις δὲ κατασκευαῖς εὐπρεπέσιν, ὧν καθ᾽ ἡμέραν ἡ τέρψις τὸ λυπηρὸν ἐκπλήσσει. [2.38.2] ἐπεσέρχεται δὲ διὰ μέγεθος τῆς πόλεως ἐκ πάσης γῆς τὰ πάντα, καὶ ξυμβαίνει ἡμῖν μηδὲν οἰκειοτέρᾳ τῇ ἀπολαύσει τὰ αὐτοῦ ἀγαθὰ γιγνόμενα καρποῦσθαι ἢ καὶ τὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἀνθρώπων. [2.39.1] «Διαφέρομεν δὲ καὶ ταῖς τῶν πολεμικῶν μελέταις τῶν ἐναντίων τοῖσδε. τήν τε γὰρ πόλιν κοινὴν παρέχομεν, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὅτε ξενηλασίαις ἀπείργομέν τινα ἢ μαθήματος ἢ θεάματος, ὃ μὴ κρυφθὲν ἄν τις τῶν πολεμίων ἰδὼν ὠφεληθείη, πιστεύοντες οὐ ταῖς παρασκευαῖς τὸ πλέον καὶ ἀπάταις ἢ τῷ ἀφ᾽ ἡμῶν αὐτῶν ἐς τὰ ἔργα εὐψύχῳ· καὶ ἐν ταῖς παιδείαις οἱ μὲν ἐπιπόνῳ ἀσκήσει εὐθὺς νέοι ὄντες τὸ ἀνδρεῖον μετέρχονται, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἀνειμένως διαιτώμενοι οὐδὲν ἧσσον ἐπὶ τοὺς ἰσοπαλεῖς κινδύνους χωροῦμεν. [2.39.2] τεκμήριον δέ· οὔτε γὰρ Λακεδαιμόνιοι καθ᾽ ἑαυτούς, μεθ᾽ ἁπάντων δὲ ἐς τὴν γῆν ἡμῶν στρατεύουσι, τήν τε τῶν πέλας αὐτοὶ ἐπελθόντες οὐ χαλεπῶς ἐν τῇ ἀλλοτρίᾳ τοὺς περὶ τῶν οἰκείων ἀμυνομένους μαχόμενοι τὰ πλείω κρατοῦμεν. [2.39.3] ἁθρόᾳ τε τῇ δυνάμει ἡμῶν οὐδείς πω πολέμιος ἐνέτυχε διὰ τὴν τοῦ ναυτικοῦ τε ἅμα ἐπιμέλειαν καὶ τὴν ἐν τῇ γῇ ἐπὶ πολλὰ ἡμῶν αὐτῶν ἐπίπεμψιν· ἢν δέ που μορίῳ τινὶ προσμείξωσι, κρατήσαντές τέ τινας ἡμῶν πάντας αὐχοῦσιν ἀπεῶσθαι καὶ νικηθέντες ὑφ᾽ ἁπάντων ἡσσῆσθαι. [2.39.4] καίτοι εἰ ῥᾳθυμίᾳ μᾶλλον ἢ πόνων μελέτῃ καὶ μὴ μετὰ νόμων τὸ πλέον ἢ τρόπων ἀνδρείας ἐθέλομεν κινδυνεύειν, περιγίγνεται ἡμῖν τοῖς τε μέλλουσιν ἀλγεινοῖς μὴ προκάμνειν, καὶ ἐς αὐτὰ ἐλθοῦσι μὴ ἀτολμοτέρους τῶν αἰεὶ μοχθούντων φαίνεσθαι, καὶ ἔν τε τούτοις τὴν πόλιν ἀξίαν εἶναι θαυμάζεσθαι καὶ ἔτι ἐν ἄλλοις.» Translation: Ang. Vlahos [2.37.1] “The constitution we have is in no way a copy of foreign constitutions. On the contrary, we are much more an example for others than imitators of them. Our constitution is called Democracy, because power is not exercised by a few citizens, but by the whole people. All citizens are equal before the law in their private differences For public office, preference is given to those who are able and deserving, not to those who belong to a certain class No one, if he happens to have no social position or if he is poor, is therefore prevented from serving the state if he has something worthy to offer [2.37.2] In our public life we are free, but also in our daily relations we do not disrespect each other, we do not get angry with our neighbor if he enjoys himself, and we do not show him a look of temptation which, if perhaps it does not harm him, yet distresses him [2.37.3] If, however, severity is lacking in our daily life, in public affairs, out of internal respect, we do not offend We respect the rulers, we obey the laws and, indeed, those made to protect the weak and those which, though unwritten, it is shameful to break [2.38.1] “By frequent sacrifices and struggles we have taken care to temper the labors of labor and rest our spirits We have a pleasant private life for each of us and its enjoyment drives away sorrow [2.38.2] The extent of our dominion is so great that we can bring from all the earth everything and so we enjoy foreign goods as much as our own [2.39.1] “And in things of war we differ from our enemies Our city is hospitable to all men, and there is no law of strangeness in us that prevents the stranger from learning or seeing anything that might, if it were not hidden, benefit our enemy who would see it And this, because we believe more in our own merit than in secret preparations and stratagems And in education, while our enemies from their earliest years are subjected to the most severe training, we have a pleasant life, without therefore being inferior in facing the same dangers [2.39.2] And here is the proof Never do the Lacedaemonians raid alone here in our land They always come with their allies. While we alone invade hostile countries and most of the time we easily defeat, in foreign lands, those who defend their own homes [2.39.3] Our enemy no one has, until now, faced our entire force concentrated, since we have both a navy to man and an army to send to many places If the enemy encounters a small part of our force somewhere, he boasts, if he is victorious, that he has defeated our whole army If he is defeated, he spreads the word that he has met all our forces [2.39.4] We face dangers willingly and not with a heavy heart We face them from valor more than from obedience to any law, and this is a great gain to us, for we do not grieve beforehand for the calamities that may come, and yet, when they do come, we are no less brave than those who are incessantly chastised “These are, with many other things, that make our city admirable. Nobody knows what Direct Democracy is after all by Panagiotis Perrou © 2002-2013 filosofia.gr – Reproduction of the content of the website is permitted provided that the source is clearly indicated. Since I have heard many idiocies and “definitions” of direct democracy, I must confess that I rarely find a person who has read Thucydides. If one does not read the historian who analyzes the birth and operation of this constitution by those who invented it, how can one have the audacity to speak of it? Direct democracy does not mean anarchy. It does not mean “forming collectives and self-management”. Nothing of the sort. That was called mobocracy in antiquity and is the ideological experimentation of later second and third rate Western intellectuals of the second and third order that has nothing to do with the purity and clarity of mind of the ancient Greek intelligentsia. Democracy, Thucydides will tell us in Pericles’ Epitaph, is first of all that constitution which, although it puts power in the hands of the many and not the few (‘FOR THE LEAST OF THEM, THE MOST OF THEM, THE MOST OF THEM, A DEMOCRACY IS COLLECTED’), but that is not enough: “BECAUSE I AM A DEMOCRACY, I AM THE FIRST MAN’S AUTHORITY”) i.e. “In words it is called democracy, but in practice it is the authority of the first man”. What does this mean? Quite simply that not every random Athenian citizen can determine the fate of a state. Yes, he can go to the Pnyx to speak his mind, yes, his opinion will be respected and will have equal weight with any other Athenian citizen, BUT this does NOT mean that power is in his hands. The Athenian citizens trust Pericles to decide who is right and who is wrong, who is deluded and who speaks correctly. They trust the former, the able man who can think beyond the pettiness and expediency of the mob, beyond the fallacy and opportunism into which his people are wont to fall. Pericles had proved this both in time of war and in time of peace. And it had de facto made him the first man in the eyes of all the Athenians. The Athenians then actually had the maturity to admit that they are often immature and make foolish decisions and need the First Man to point them in the right direction and get them out of trouble. The leader of Direct Democracy was not an executive officer. He was a leader who knew how to take the positives from his people and ignore the negatives. And the people had the maturity to understand this: that not all of them had the ability and education to be leaders. But they had the right to speak freely and publicly. So that was direct democracy. Those who scream like orangutans about “collective decision-making” and other such nonsense would do well to sit at home and open a book. They should not parrot the intellectual acrobatics of “anarchy” and other second-rate late-age intellectuals of decadence. For in the new Greece there is no lack of freedom of expression, but of freedom of thought.

Panagiotis Perros

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