Antik Atina Doğrudan Demokrasisi: Liberal Demokratik Bir Potansiyele Sahip miydi?

Year 2021, Volume: 6 Issue: 3, 805 - 823, 30.12.2021

Yavuz Selim Alkan

https://doi.org/10.30784/epfad.991852

Abstract

Bu çalışma, antik Atina doğrudan demokrasisinin bir liberal demokrasi olarak görülüp görülemeyeceği veya liberal bir siyasal rejime evrilme potansiyeline sahip olup olmadığı yönündeki iddiaları değerlendirmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Bu maksatla, önce liberalizmin bireycilik, sınırlı devlet, negatif özgürlük ve haklar gibi temel niteliklerine odaklanarak kısa bir analizi sunulmuştur. Daha sonra antik Atina doğrudan demokrasisinin temel prensipleri ve idealleri onun liberal demokratik potansiyelini ortaya çıkarmak amacıyla kısaca analiz edilmiştir. Bu çalışmada ortaya konulan ana argüman, Atina doğrudan demokrasisinin bireyi devlet müdahalesinden koruma ve vatandaşların negatif özgürlüklerini korumak için sahip olduğu çeşitli bağışıklıklar gibi bazı temel karakteristikleri bir nevi liberal değerlerdir ve Atina politik rejiminin liberal bir potansiyel taşıdığının göstergeleridir. Ayrıca çalışmada, antik Atina doğrudan demokrasisinin temel özgürlükleri genişletmeyi sağladığı için liberal demokratik bir potansiyele sahip olduğunu iddia etmenin, eğer tarihsel koşullar farklı olsaydı Atina demokrasisi daha liberal demokratik bir siyasal rejime evrilebilirdi savından daha ikna edici bir argüman olduğu savunulmuştur. Metodolojik olarak bu çalışma, analitik ve normatif siyaset felsefesi teorisi içerisinde bir nitel çalışmadır.

Keywords

Doğrudan Demokrasi, Antik Atina Demokrasisi, Liberal Demokrasi, Liberalizm

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

Direct Democracy, Ancient Athenian Democracy, Liberal Democracy, Liberalism

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