Athenian Democracy: Reacting to the Past

Have you ever wondered where democracy originated and how it operated? This course offers an innovative, immersive approach by re-enacting Athenian democratic practice, ultimately the basis for all western democracies. The first half of the course recreates the intellectual dynamics of a formative period in western political history, when Greece went through a crisis at the end of the fifth century BCE. By using a format of role play it offers an educational experience of the democratic process of Athens. This method brings the discussions about the value of democracy to life on the basis of literary sources (e.g. Herodotus, Plato, Thucydides, Xenophon). The second half of the course returns to academic analysis, exploring the fundamental questions regarding the value of democratic rule in seminars. The story begins in 403 BCE, when, after thirty years of war, Sparta crushed the democratic rule, destroyed the city's great walls and warships, occupied the city, and installed a ruthless regime, 'the Thirty Tyrants'. You will debate the doubts about democracy raised in the post-war period by the Greeks, expressed most ingeniously by Socrates and his young supporters: can Athens retain a political system where all decisions are made by an Assembly of 6,000 or so citizens? Will leaders continue to be chosen by random lottery? Will citizenship be broadened to include slaves who fought for the democracy and foreign-born inhabitants who paid taxes in its support? You will take on the roles of radical and moderate democrats, oligarchs, and Socratics to debate these issues. You will learn about the origin and ordeals of Greek democracy and its importance for later ages.