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The Origins of Politics in Ancient Hellas

Jürgen Gebhardt ; Filozofski fakultet Sveučilišta u Erlangenu, Erlangen, Njemačka

Abstract

The author describes the origin of politics in ancient polis. The arhaic polis was originally a settlement ruled by aristocracy, social and religious centre of a small agrarian society. Intensive trade, wars and colonisation brought about the crisis of the aristocratic polis between 8th and 6th ct. B.C.: the relations between the aristocracy and the peasantry were spoiled, tyrannies came into being, citizens revolted. In the 6th century B.C. the crisis was resolved through the establishment of civic polis in which politics became an autonomous sphere of human activity in which all citizens had a say in the running of the polis. The social basis of politics was the emergence of a relatively homogenous citizenry (demos), in which the old aristocracy was mixed with smaller farmers, craftsmen and traders. The creators of the politics were wise individuals (sophoi), who like Solon, embody the new virtue (arete), i.e. the ability to go beyond the ephemeral human thinking (doxa), which aims at maximizing fortune and glory, and to establish order (eunomia) in the polis. Thanks to the classical Greek philosophy the epoch-making invention of politics became the paradigm of humanity and one of the foundations of western civilization.

Keywords

Hrčak ID:

110852

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/110852

Publication date:

1.2.1995.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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