Ideals of Democratic Citizenship in Funeral Oration by...

Ideals of Democratic Citizenship in Funeral Oration by Pericles When dealing with the extent to which Socrates is a good example for following the ideals of democratic citizenship, a good source to use as a point of comparison to his life is the principles laid out about that citizenship by Pericles in his Funeral Oration. In the Oration, Pericles brought forth certain ideas about Athenian democracy and how its citizens should live their lives in accordance with it. He held these views to be paramount and used them in association with the principles of Athenian Law to prove a persuasive point that Athenian democracy had to be one with the people to survive. Above all other ideals he held first the thought that politics was the highest†¦show more content†¦Furthermore, in the mind of Pericles, any citizen who did not take some part in the realm of politics was not just missing the core of Athenian democracy, but was essentially useless. This is so because Athenian democracy stood on the idea that people would take an active role in the g overnment that represented them in order to protect their freedoms, and anyone who shunned that responsibility was a detriment to society. The arguments that Pericles puts forth are persuasive in the sense that theoretically in order for a democracy to survive as intended (which is self-representation and majority rule) then people must take politics sincerely. Socrates, at the other end of the spectrum, saw politics as a wasted venture for him because his life was devoted to a quest for knowledge. He stated his way of life, which conflicts with that of Pericles model, to differ from that of the democratic system of Athens because he saw the government to be corrupt and the majority to not be just. Socrates did not bother to lead a life of servitude to the ideals of the state because he showed through his actions that an unexamined life without critical thinking was not a life at all. As is made clear by the admittance of Socrates himself, his defense plea is the first time he has appeared in a court of law, even by the age of seventy. Socrates life was dedicated to the pursuit of further comprehension and debate with the Athenian people on the deeper issues of life, not to a courtShow MoreRelatedEssay on Greeces Golden Age Under Pericles Rule3261 Words   |  14 Pagesintensify their dominance. The Delian League, which was the league Ath ens was associated with, continued to thrive. This allowed Athens the opportunity to create a democratic nation in which the people were provided with the freedom they continuously strived for. The individual that was determined to create a democratic nation was Pericles. He revised and renovated Athenian democracy. Pericles’s ultimate goal was to implement democracy. He worked hard to accomplish this goal and to change the AthenianRead MoreAncient Athens : The Birthplace Of Democracy1378 Words   |  6 PagesLemesis Reyes Sec: 27 Although, Ancient Athens is known to be the birthplace of democracy. Nevertheless, in this paper I argue that there are aspects that show that Athenians were not truly democratic because of the restrictions imposed on citizenship such as; age requirement, only males allowed, and the requirement of a birth measure meaning that double descent was required from both an Athenian mother and an Athenian father to be recognized as a citizen regardless of one’s birthplace. It is antitheticalRead MoreEssay on Prostitutes in Ancient Athens1571 Words   |  7 PagesProstitutes in Ancient Athens Works Cited Missing Ancient Athens was a highly polarized society in which citizenship meant everything. Citizenship permitted individuals to not only participate in the democratic government but also gave them access to all the rights and splendors of the city. A citizen controlled influence over slaves, foreigners and most importantly women. Athenian women were relegated to the status of child bearers and keepers of the household. There was no room forRead MoreEssay on Navigating Interstitial Spaces1910 Words   |  8 Pagescodified laws of the 1830s granted â€Å"dangerous freedom† to the individual, Americans managed to navigate interstitial spaces with assiduous virtue. This discussion will briefly connect threads from Aristotle’s Ethics, Plato’s Republic, and Pericles’ funeral oration to preface a more extensive examination of Tocqueville’s careful study of the institutions which reinforced virtue within America’s interstitial spaces. The conclusion will examine and evaluate the doctrine of â€Å"self-interest rightly understood†