Democracy Ancient and Modern

By Moses I. Finley

Book Overview

Western democracy is now at a critical juncture. Some worry that power has been wrested from the people and placed in the hands of a small political elite. Others argue that the democratic system gives too much power to a populace that is largely ill-informed and easily swayed by demagogues.

This classic study of democratic principles is thus now more relevant than ever. A renowned historian of antiquity and political philosophy, Sir M.I. Finley offers a comparative analysis of Greek and modern conceptions of democracy. As he puts the ancient Greeks in dialogue with their contemporary counterparts, Finley tackles some of the most pressing issues of our day, including public apathy, partisanship, consensus politics, distrust of professional politicians, and the limits of free speech.

Including three lectures that Finley delivered at Rutgers University, plus two additional essays that further illuminate his thinking, Democracy Ancient and Modern explores the dramatic differences between the close-knit civil society of the ancient Greeks and our own atomized mass societies. By mapping out democracy's past and its present manifestations, this book helps us plot a course for democracy's future.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1978802323
• ISBN13: 9781978802322
• Release Date: November 2018
• Publisher: Rutgers University Press Classics
• Length: 200 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.1" x 7.8"
• Grade Range: Grade 11 and higher

Customer Reviews

Democracy Ancient and modern

The reason I had purchased this book was to attempt to get into the mind of the contemporary average Greek citizen (Specifically Athens) and to see how they thought, what their intellectual capacities were, and exactly what their capabilities were in the overall political process. I wanted to know if the titantic proportions of apathy that permeates the "democracies" of the world today existed at that time as well. If not, then what created this apathy, and what would be the appropriate pathway that would lead to the implementation of integrity into the political system? The book satisfied my curiousity, and I now have a much better understanding of the contemporary Athenian politica process. I must say, however, that I do not agree with the author's solution.