The Grecian school of thought included many aspects of politics, philosophy, mathematics, religion and science. One common topic which many Greeks wrote about is the role of law in their communities and societies. Here as some of the things that they said:
Thucydides speaking about their constitution: "Its administration favours the many instead of the few; this is why it is called a democracy." He went on to explain that every man in the Greek society is involved in politics and not just in voting. Each one was a politician. Each one took part in discussions and meetings to determine laws and city ordinances. Each one took a turn serving in the government. Ideally this is how it worked, although it wasn't quite this perfect. The main effect of this type of law is the empowering of each man, be he poor or rich. Each man had an equal opportunity to go somewhere in his life.
Plato in the Crito: Here Socrates speaks about the Laws in Athens. He states that they should not be disobeyed or nullified or they will lost importance and the state will fall into chaos. His most important assertion is that the state is only held together by the laws and that the laws are only binding if they hold no matter the circumstances.
Sophocles: In "Oedipus Rex" Sophocles shows how important the law is to the King Oedipus because he was willing to kill himself rather than have his name shamed because he broke the law.
The way the Greeks view law is quite different from our view, but some things do remain the same. When Thucydides describes how each man in the city participates in government I am reminded of how we each have the opportunity to participate in government by voting, although, the Greek way of participating was much more involved than ours. I can also relate to Plato's statement about how laws hold the state together and keep them from falling to chaos. I feel like laws still do that today.
I really thought that you brought up really interesting points. I was very intrigued by Thucydides talking about democracy and how even the common man could participate in local politics and have a say in what was going to happen in their home. I admire the Greek's for their beginning of democracy and for giving us such a system.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting blog. Your point about each Athenian citizen being a politician, not just a voter, was something I had never thought of before. I think that to some degree the same can be true here. I'm not even registered to vote yet, but I argue my beliefs with others whenever the chance arises. Not saying thats always true, but sometimes. Good job.
ReplyDeleteI think the Greeks view on the laws of society is very interesting. It amazes me their ability to hold themselves personally accountable. This is something that would rarely been seen in modern society. To some these days it almost seems that laws are meant to be broken.
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