Pericles View of the Athenian Democracy: Propounded by two Philosophers (Essay Sample)

Athenian Democracy
Name
Institution
Introduction
The Athenian democracy developed in Greece in the 5th Century BC. It is the oldest known democracy in the world, and it was the most developed of all democracies that were prevalent during its time. Athenian democracy was a form of direct democracy. Citizens had the privilege to approve or disprove legislations and executive bills directly through a vote. To vote, one had to meet certain qualifications. They had to be of the age of majority and be of the male gender. Comics and political satire that was played in the theaters influenced the politics of that time. Pericles was the longest serving leader of the Athenian democracy. After his death, the Athenian democracy declined in its prominence after the Macedonians suppressed it in 322 BC. It was revived decades later.
Pericles View of the Athenian Democracy
The most notable aspect of Pericles contribution to Athenian democracy was his devolution of political power to the people. As the leader of Athens, Pericles gave the citizens the power to participate directly- as opposed to representation through representatives- in all matters of legislation and policy. He also increased the number and salaries of civil servants to ensure their commitment and participation in effective governance.
Besides giving the power to the citizens, Pericles established various institutions such as the courts, the assembly, and a council that foresaw the execution of policies that the assembly passed. The assembly was open to every male member of the community who had attained the age of 18 years. It had the responsibility of announcing executive decisions, electing officials, making laws and holding trials. The assembly would meet ten times every year. The voting process would commence by hearing of speeches that addressed the conflicting sides of an issue, and afterward the citizens would raise hands in support of an issue. The side that had a bigger majority of the voters would win.
Pericles also established the Council of Five Hundred. It comprised of representatives from ten geographic regions, which had fifty members each. The Council was mandated to execute decisions that were passed by the assembly, administering the affairs of the state such as treasury and foreign affairs. It also oversaw the working of the courts and the magistrates and coordinated various specialized boards.
The courts were the judicial arm of the Athenian democracy under Pericles. The jurors and magistrates were selected from persons who had attained the age of thirty years, and who were full citizens. Larger juries would be chosen when the need arose. The courts had the duty of resolving conflicts and conducting trials. Disputing parties would represent themselves, and the jurors were bound to comply with the wishes and decisions of the people.
Athenian democracy during the Pericles’s age had various shortcomings. For instance, participation in democratic processes such as voting in the assembly was open to citizens who were full citizens – meaning that one had to have both parents of Athenian origin - to participate. Women, slaves, freed slaves, and foreign settlers did not have an opportunity to participate.
Plato’s View of the Athenian Democracy
Like Pericles, Plato was an Athenian citizen. He lived during the Peloponnesian War. Plato had been a student of Socrates before the Athenian authorities executed him. Unlike Pericles, Plato did not believe in justice. Instead, he believed that justice and knowledge had a better chance at ensuring the greater social good.
Plato borrowed the idea that the majority could make a wrong decision from Socrates. This idea informed his notion that justice and knowledge ought to prevail over democracy. Plato made reference to various aspects of Socrates life in his defense of his idea of democracy. He told the story about Socrates refusal of a chance that Crito offered him to escape from prison. Crito was Socrates’s close ally. Crito said to Socrates that if he declined his help, the majority of the population would view Crito as having done the wrong thing.
In defense of his choice to reject help to escape from prison, Socrates told Crito that what the majority thought was immaterial if it was wrong in the face of the reasonable people. Plato insisted that the society and everyone else should place due value on noble opinions only and should disregard bad ones. He maintained that what mattered more was conformity to justice and noble ideas even if that meant going against the majority wishes. He was of the steadfast opinion that the majority can have wrong and unjust ideas.
Similarities between Plato’s and Pericles’s views on Athenian Democracy
Although Plato and Pericles had varied opinions on democracy, they had several similarities. The most striking similarity was that both sought the greater good in society. Pericles opined that giving the people the power to make all decisions, both right and wrong was the correct way to ensure social good. Plato, on the hand, opined that what mattered more was the quality of the decisions that affected the society.
Another similarity was that Plato and Pericles valued democracy. Both saw democracy as an idea that was capable of protecting the greater good in society. However, they had differing opinions on how democracy ought to have been executed to realize this ideal.
Differences between Plato’s and Pericles’s vi...