Download Unit1v13 - Mira Costa High School

Unit One: Sources of Democratic
Traditions
Ancient Greece
Roman Republic and Empire
Principles of Judaism
The Rise of Christianity
Roots of Democracy
Ancient Athens
(500-300 B.C.)
Judaism (1000 B.C.present)
Ancient Rome (509
B.C.-A.D. 476)
England
Christianity (A.D.
34-present)
Basic moral laws
(values)
Direct democracy
Duties of the citizen
Duties of the
individual
Legislature
Jury
Republic
Rule of law and
reason
Veto
Checks on power
Written code of laws
Morally just
community
Equality and dignity
of all
Service to others
Moral and ethical
behavior
Justice
England will be
discussed under
unit two; The
Glorious Revolution
Ancient Greece
•
The Greeks designed each large city-state, or polis, with an acropolis for temples
and a lower walled city for homes, a market, and public buildings. Different forms
of government evolved over time, from monarchy, to aristocracy, and in some
places oligarchy.
•
Oligarchy - Sparta
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Tyranny - Corinth
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Democracy - Athens
The Road to Athenian
Democracy
Oligarchy
Limited Democracy
Aristocracy?/Oligarchy?
Tyranny
Democracy in the Golden
Age of Athens
Solon’s Reforms
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Liberated slaves and outlawed debt slavery
Created four social classes based on wealth
Created a system where government positions were based on class status
Permitted social mobility
Created a judicial system where wrongdoers can be taken to court and permitted
appeals
Athens: The Cultural Center of
Greece; the Birthplace of Philosophy
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Athens experienced a “golden age” under the leadership of the statesman, Pericles.
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Athens’ government during this time was a direct democracy in which every citizen voted
directly on issues.
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Jury duty was also expected of citizens.
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Athens became the cultural center of Greece.
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The Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta ended Athens’ domination of Greece.
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Greek philosophers tried to discover universal truths.
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These truths would hopefully lead to better government and proper ethics.
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Among the most influential philosophers were Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.
Key Ideas of Plato
Key Ideas of Aristotle
Analysis of “The Politics”
In The Politics, Aristotle:
• Discusses ownership of productive assets (Book I).
• Examines the potential for social upheaval resulting from
inequitable distribution of goods (Book I).
• Identifies rational self-interest as natural (Book I).
• Believes that people band together to improve their well being
(Book III).
• Examines the interests served by different types of
governments (Book III).
–
–
–
Tyranny (monarchy)-tyrant (monarch)
Oligarchy-wealthy
Democracy-needy
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•
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Finds that rule of law and not any tyranny, oligarchy,
or (direct) democracy is the best way to govern (Book
III). [Laws should govern. People must have input in
making the law.]
Defines the role of the ideal state as the entity
responsible for providing the best life possible for its
citizens (Book VII).
Identifies the services that the state should provide to
attain the above (Book VII).
–
–
–
–
–
–
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Welfare
Arts and leisure
Right to bare arms (militia or military)
Tax collection
A home for religion
Justice system
Notes that the foundations of governments must be
equality and justice (Book VII).
Points out the importance of education in society.
Important People
and Their ideas
The Spread of Greek Ideas; the
Hellenistic Age
•
Macedonian ruler Philip II came to control all of Greece.
•
His son, Alexander the Great, created an enormous empire that stretched into Persia
and Egypt.
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Alexander’s conquests spread Greek culture.
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He married a Persian woman and urged others to do the same.
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This mixing of cultures created a new Hellenistic civilization that blended Greek,
Persian, Egyptian, and Indian cultures.
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Alexandria in Egypt was the heart of this new empire.
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The Romans eventually conquered what was once Alexander’s empire and merge the
cultures into what we call Greco-Roman traditions.
•
The Roman poet Horace noted, “Greece has conquered her rude conqueror”
Roman Republic and Empire
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In 509 B.C., the Romans broke free of Etruscan rule and formed a republic in which the people
choose some officials.
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Various governing bodies regulated Roman life, such as the senate. Plebeians had to fight to gain
political power.
•
With the help of citizen-soldiers, Rome came to control most of the Italian peninsula by about 270
B.C
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Political leaders and the senate fought civil wars in Rome, and the empire came to rely on paid
soldiers who were loyal to their commanders over the state.
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Julius Caesar became dictator and was killed in 44 B.C., which brought on more civil wars.
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Octavian became emperor in 31 B.C. and took the title of Augustus. He created a civil service to
enforce laws and imposed a fairer tax system. He ushered in the pax Romana, which was a 200year period of peace.
Roman Law
•
Roman laws united the empire. Civil law and the law of nations were merged to
apply to everyone in the empire.
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Many Roman principles of law are still practiced today.
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Romans respected the authority of the law much like the Greeks.
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Romans wrote down all their laws beginning with the Twelve Tables. By the 6th
century A.D. Roman law was cumbersome and confusing.
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The Emperor Justinian codified all the laws in a process that removed
redundancies and errors; an enormous undertaking.
Principles of Judaism
•
According to the Torah, Abraham migrated with his family westward from
Mesopotamia to Canaan.
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There, near the eastern Mediterranean coast, Abraham founded the Israelite
nation.
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The Israelites were monotheistic, meaning they believed in one God.
•
They believed God would protect and provide for them as long as they followed
God’s laws. They believed that Gods rules applied also to their rulers.
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The Torah established moral principles and set out laws, including The Ten
Commandments that became part of the cultural foundation of Western
civilization.
The Rise of Christianity
•
According to the Gospels, Jesus began preaching and performing miracles of healing in
the provinces of Galilee and Judea on the eastern Mediterranean.
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Jesus’ message echoed the Jewish ideas of mercy and sympathy for the poor.
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Some followers believed he was the Son of God, Out of fear of rebellion, the Romans
crucified him.
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Jesus’ followers spread Christianity, first among the Jews of Judea and then through the
Roman world.
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Paul was the most influential among them.
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The emperor Theodosius made Christianity Rome’s official religion.
The Christian Church & Judeo-Christian
Tradition
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Gradually scattered Christian communities organized a structured church hierarchy.
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The bishops of the important cities became powerful in the Church, with the bishop of
Rome serving as the pope.
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During the Middle Ages, the Roman Catholic Church became a powerful spiritual and
secular force in Western Europe.
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Both the Jewish and Christian faiths are major world religions today.
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The ethical and moral principles set forth by both religions played an important role in
the development of the democratic tradition