HIST 90.08 Democracy: Ancient to Modern

This course comprises four parts. In the first, we will familiarize ourselves with the concept of democracy, as well as the historical context in which democracy first emerged. In part two, we will explore the history of democracy at ancient Athens, with an emphasis on the development and functioning of democratic institutions, democratic ideology, and the exploitation by democracies of women, slaves, and foreigners. In part three, we will consider democracies outside Athens, as well as non-democratic regime types, such as oligarchy, tyranny, and the “Lycurgan” constitution at Sparta. In part four, we will turn our attention to the modern era. More specifically, we will compare Greek democracies to subsequent institutions that have been described as democratic (e.g., New England town hall meetings, the United States of America, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo); examine the impact of Greek democracy on the development of modern political thought.

Cross Listed Courses

CLST 11.13

Degree Requirement Attributes

Dist:INT or SOC; WCult:W

The Timetable of Class Meetings contains the most up-to-date information about a course. It includes not only the meeting time and instructor, but also its official distributive and/or world culture designation. This information supersedes any information you may see elsewhere, to include what may appear in this ORC/Catalog or on a department/program website. Note that course attributes may change term to term therefore those in effect are those (only) during the term in which you enroll in the course.

Department-Specific Course Categories

Class of 2023 and Before Major Dist: INTER, pre-1700/pre-1800; Class of 2024 and Beyond Major Dist: premodern.