Athenian democracy

by | Feb 27, 2025 | Essays

 

 

What is your view of Athenian democracy?

You should give your own view and defend it. Specifically, you should discuss both the strengths and weaknesses of Athenian democracy. But it is not enough to describe them respectively. You have to give an overall assessment, addressing the benefits in light of the costs.

Sample solution

Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.


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God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

Athenian democracy, while a groundbreaking experiment, presents a complex picture when viewed through a modern lens. My perspective acknowledges its significant contributions to democratic thought while also recognizing its inherent limitations.

Strengths:

  • Direct Participation:
    • The core strength of Athenian democracy was its emphasis on direct citizen participation in political decision-making. This fostered a sense of civic engagement and responsibility.
    • It allowed for a more immediate expression of the people’s will than modern representative democracies.

Athenian democracy, while a groundbreaking experiment, presents a complex picture when viewed through a modern lens. My perspective acknowledges its significant contributions to democratic thought while also recognizing its inherent limitations.

Strengths:

  • Direct Participation:
    • The core strength of Athenian democracy was its emphasis on direct citizen participation in political decision-making. This fostered a sense of civic engagement and responsibility.
    • It allowed for a more immediate expression of the people’s will than modern representative democracies.
  • Equality Before the Law:
    • The principle of “isonomia” (equality before the law) was a significant advancement. It aimed to ensure that all male citizens had equal rights and opportunities within the legal system.
  • Freedom of Speech:
    • “Parrhesia” (freedom of speech) was highly valued, allowing citizens to express their opinions openly in the Assembly. This facilitated public debate and the exchange of ideas.

Weaknesses:

  • Exclusionary Nature:
    • Athenian democracy was deeply exclusionary. Women, slaves, and resident foreigners (metics) were denied political rights, representing a significant portion of the population.
    • This limitation of who was considered a citizen, is a major flaw when viewed from a modern lense.
  • Potential for Mob Rule:
    • The direct nature of Athenian democracy made it susceptible to the influence of demagogues and the whims of the crowd.
    • Decisions could be swayed by emotional appeals rather than rational deliberation, leading to potentially harmful outcomes.
  • Limited Representation:
    • The system was best suited for a relatively small city-state. Its practicality diminishes in larger, more complex societies.
  • Instability:
    • Athenian Democracy was prone to periods of instability, and was often influenced by the outcomes of wars.

Overall Assessment:

While Athenian democracy demonstrated the potential for popular participation in government, its exclusionary nature and susceptibility to mob rule represent significant drawbacks. The benefits of direct participation and equality before the law were largely confined to a privileged minority.

In light of the costs, I believe that Athenian democracy, in its pure form, is not a viable model for modern societies. However, it offers valuable lessons:

  • The importance of civic engagement: Modern democracies can learn from the Athenian emphasis on citizen participation, finding ways to encourage active involvement in political processes.
  • The dangers of exclusion: The Athenian example underscores the importance of inclusivity and universal suffrage in ensuring a just and equitable society.
  • The need for checks and balances: Modern democracies must implement safeguards to prevent the abuse of power and protect against the tyranny of the majority.
  • The value of free speech: The concept of free speech is a very important part of modern democracies, and that concept was valued in ancient Athens.

Ultimately, Athenian democracy serves as a historical precedent, highlighting both the promise and the perils of popular rule. Modern democracies must strive to balance the principles of participation and representation while upholding the values of inclusivity, justice, and individual rights.

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