Description
Book SynopsisUsing classical Athens as its case study, this book argues that if a democratic community is to survive over time, its people must choose to go on together. It also advances fresh arguments about the role of diversity and the relevance of shared understanding of the past in creating democracies that flourish when the going gets rough.
Trade Review"[A] timely reminder of democracy's dynamic and creative potential for our deeply-divided and polarized American society, as it proceeds with hope and optimism into an uncertain democratic future."--Craige B. Champion, Classical Outlook "By confronting critically an alien way of thinking and doing and speaking about politics that is nevertheless also the fountainhead of our own Western political tradition, Ober provides a wide range of readers with a truly unsettling and therefore properly educational experience."--Paul Cartledge, New England Classical Journal "This is a rich collection; almost all readers will learn from most essays. Ober provides detailed accounts of Athenian culture while keeping his eye on larger themes."--George Klosko, Perspectives on Politics "Josiah Ober's depth of knowledge on Athenian democracy is well-known, and his tenth book, Athenian Legacies, indicates that his reputation is well-deserved...Josiah Ober is to be congratulated on a magnificent achievement, a true tour de force of scholarship which develops a groundbreaking treatment of Athenian democracy and society."--Matthew P.J. Dillon, European Legacy "This is a rich collection; almost all readers will learn something from most essays. Ober provides detailed accounts of Athenian culture while keeping his eye on larger themes... [E]ngagement with Ober's essays will enrich their understanding of Athenian history and its relevance for contemporary concerns."--George Klosko, Perspectives on Politics
Table of ContentsList of Abbreviations ix Preface xi Chapter One: Introduction: Climbing the Hill of Ares 1 Chapter Two: Classical Athenian Democracy and Democracy Today 27 Chapter Three: Historical Legacies: Moral Authority and the Useable Past 43 Chapter Four: Culture, Thin Coherence, and the Persistence of Politics 69 Chapter Five: Quasi Rights: Participatory Citizenship and Negative Liberties 92 Chapter Six: The Athenian Debate over Civic Education 128 Chapter Seven: Living Freely as a Slave of the Law: Why Socrates Lives in Athens 157 Chapter Eight: Social Science History, Cultural History, and the Amnesty of 403 b.c. 171 Chapter Nine: Greek Horoi: Artifactual Texts and the Contingency of Meaning 183 Chapter Ten: Tyrant-Killing as Therapeutic Conflict: A Political Debate in Images and Texts 212 Bibliography 249 Index 267
