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Ancient Athenian Direct Democracy: Any Liberal Democratic Potential?
Abstract
This study aims to assess the claims whether or not the direct democracy in ancient Athens can be properly regarded as a liberal democracy or had the potentials to evolve into a liberal democratic regime. For this purpose, firstly, a brief examination of liberal democracy is provided focusing on the basic tenets of liberalism; namely individualism, the limited conceptualisation of the state, negative freedom, and rights. Then, the basic principles and ideals of ancient Athenian direct democracy are briefly analysed to unveil its liberal democratic potential. The main argument raised in this study is that some essential characteristics of the Athenian version of direct democracy, viz. protecting the individual from the state interference and having several immunities to protect the negative liberties of citizens, were like liberal values and the indicators of the political regime’s liberal potential. It is also argued that it is much more persuasive to argue that ancient Athenian direct democracy had liberal democratic potentials because it facilitated the extension of core liberties than the claim that Athenian democracy could have evolved into a more liberal democratic political regime if historical conditions had been different. Methodologically, this is a qualitative study in analytic and normative political-philosophical theory.
Keywords
References
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Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
Political Science
Journal Section
Research Article
Authors
Publication Date
December 30, 2021
Submission Date
September 6, 2021
Acceptance Date
November 24, 2021
Published in Issue
Year 2021 Volume: 6 Number: 3
APA
Alkan, Y. S. (2021). Ancient Athenian Direct Democracy: Any Liberal Democratic Potential? Ekonomi Politika Ve Finans Araştırmaları Dergisi, 6(3), 805-823. https://doi.org/10.30784/epfad.991852
AMA
1.Alkan YS. Ancient Athenian Direct Democracy: Any Liberal Democratic Potential? EPF Journal. 2021;6(3):805-823. doi:10.30784/epfad.991852
Chicago
Alkan, Yavuz Selim. 2021. “Ancient Athenian Direct Democracy: Any Liberal Democratic Potential?”. Ekonomi Politika Ve Finans Araştırmaları Dergisi 6 (3): 805-23. https://doi.org/10.30784/epfad.991852.
EndNote
Alkan YS (December 1, 2021) Ancient Athenian Direct Democracy: Any Liberal Democratic Potential? Ekonomi Politika ve Finans Araştırmaları Dergisi 6 3 805–823.
IEEE
[1]Y. S. Alkan, “Ancient Athenian Direct Democracy: Any Liberal Democratic Potential?”, EPF Journal, vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 805–823, Dec. 2021, doi: 10.30784/epfad.991852.
ISNAD
Alkan, Yavuz Selim. “Ancient Athenian Direct Democracy: Any Liberal Democratic Potential?”. Ekonomi Politika ve Finans Araştırmaları Dergisi 6/3 (December 1, 2021): 805-823. https://doi.org/10.30784/epfad.991852.
JAMA
1.Alkan YS. Ancient Athenian Direct Democracy: Any Liberal Democratic Potential? EPF Journal. 2021;6:805–823.
MLA
Alkan, Yavuz Selim. “Ancient Athenian Direct Democracy: Any Liberal Democratic Potential?”. Ekonomi Politika Ve Finans Araştırmaları Dergisi, vol. 6, no. 3, Dec. 2021, pp. 805-23, doi:10.30784/epfad.991852.
Vancouver
1.Yavuz Selim Alkan. Ancient Athenian Direct Democracy: Any Liberal Democratic Potential? EPF Journal. 2021 Dec. 1;6(3):805-23. doi:10.30784/epfad.991852