Ancient Athenian Direct Democracy: Any Liberal Democratic Potential?

Abstract

This study aims to assess the claims whether or not the direct democracy in ancient Athens can be properly regarded as a liberal democracy or had the potentials to evolve into a liberal democratic regime. For this purpose, firstly, a brief examination of liberal democracy is provided focusing on the basic tenets of liberalism; namely individualism, the limited conceptualisation of the state, negative freedom, and rights. Then, the basic principles and ideals of ancient Athenian direct democracy are briefly analysed to unveil its liberal democratic potential. The main argument raised in this study is that some essential characteristics of the Athenian version of direct democracy, viz. protecting the individual from the state interference and having several immunities to protect the negative liberties of citizens, were like liberal values and the indicators of the political regime's liberal potential. It is also argued that it is much more persuasive to argue that ancient Athenian direct democracy had liberal democratic potentials because it facilitated the extension of core liberties than the claim that Athenian democracy could have evolved into a more liberal democratic political regime if historical conditions had been different. Methodologically, this is a qualitative study in analytic and normative political-philosophical theory.