The Origins of Democratic Thinking: The Invention of Politics in Classical Athens

"The ancient Greeks invented democracy. They also invented political theory. This book seeks to show that these were not discrete achievements. Plato and Aristotle were not the first political theorists. The development of political theory accompanied the growth of democracy at Athens in the fifth century B.C. The citizens of Athens and others drawn by the city's vibrant intellectual and artistic life attempted to understand how order was possible within a political community governed by autonomous men of all classes. The also wondered how cosmic order could exist in the absence of divine guidance. By analyzing the writings of Protagoras the sophist, Thucydides the historian and Democritus the cosmologist in the context of political developments and speculation about the universe, this book reveals the existence of a distinctive approach to the characterization of democratic order. Because this approach is not abstract or remote from the experience of politics, it has not been recognized as democratic theory; these very qualities underlie the strength of the theories as accounts of man's self-understanding in democratic society. The history of these ideas reveals the virtues of Thucydides' historical conception of politics. Thucydides' history is shown to be an argument for the political force of historical judgement. This book should appeal to a wide readership, including ancient historians, historians of ideas, philosophers, classicists and political scientists"--from back cover.