Fondements de la démocratie : sociétés anciennes et problèmes contemporains
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Paris 8Disciplines:
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Abstract EN:
Greece owes its civilisation to the democratic polity. Ancient greek political thought recognised three types of polity : the monarchy, in which the monarch is sovereign ; the oligarchy, or rule by the aristocrats and the rich, and the democracy, meaning govemement by the people, called the +demos)) by the ancient greeks. Democracy has been a realised only in greece and only once, having been essentially killed off, in 338 b. C. , at the battle of chaironeia, by the nothem greeks, the macedonians. For democratic thought freedom means to be ruled and to rule in turn (arist. 1317b 2-3). The distinctive element in the democracy was that it employed sortition (drawing of lots) as main mechanism of selection for its office-holders. Aristotle (1294b 8-9) says : "if authorities are chosen by lot, the polity is democratic, if they are elected, the polity is oligarchic. " what was essential about democracy was that all locally-born adults, irrespective of origine or economic status, were considered qualified to exercise political rights and be called citizens. The philosophy of democracy was centred on the average person. The tripartite division of powers and the indisputable independence of the judiciary from the executive were introducted by solon in 594 b. C. , as fundamental characteristics of democracy. Every citizen could be a member of the judiciary or of the executive, if the lot had fallen to him. In ancient athens, 99. 8 percent of the office-holders, in both the judiciary and the executive, were drawn by lot. The brevity of the tenure, one year usually, made it easier for all citizens to have experience of office. All citizens are, by definition, members of legislature, ecclesia of the demos, participated in it, throughout their lives. Modem parliamentary forms of government are parliamentary oligarchies. Christianity derives its conceptions of equality, justice and philanthropy from democratic thought. The epilogue contains proposals for a revival of democracy.
Abstract FR:
La grece doit sa civilisation au regime democratique. La pensee politique des grecs ancients ne reconnaissait que trois regimes politiques : la monarchie, ou le roi, le monarque, est le souverain ; l'oligarchie, ou gouvernent les aristocrates et les riches et la democratie, qui signifie gouvernement du peuple, appele "demos" par les grecs ancients. La democratie fut une realite seulement en grece et pour une seule fois et fut assassinnee, en 338 av. J. -c. , dans la bataille de cheronee, par les grecs du nord, les macedoniens. Selon la pensee democratique, la liberte, c'est d'etre tour a tour gouverne et gouvernant (arist. 1317b 2-3). La difference specifique de la democratie etait qu'elle employait le tirage au sort comme maniere principale pour designer les autorites. Aristote (1294b 8-9) dit : +si les autorites sont tirees au sort le regime est democratique, si elles sont elues, le regime est oligarchique. ; ce qui etait essentiel en democratie etait le fait qu'on considerait tout adulte, independamment d'origine ou de portee economique, comme capable de jouir de droits politiques et d'etre appele citoyen. La philosophie de la democratie etait orientee vers l'homme moyen. La division tripartite des pouvoirs et l'independance indisputable du judiciaire vis-a-vis l'executif etaient introduites par solon, en 594 av. J. -c. , comme caracteristique fondamental de la democratie. Tout citoyen pouvait etre membre soit du juduciaire soit de l'executif, pourvu que le sort l'ait designe. La courte duree du mandat, d'habitude une annee, facilitait le passage de tous les citoyens par les charges. Tout citoyen etait, par definition, membre du legislatif, l'ecclesia du demos, et il y participait a vie. Les regimes parlementaires modernes ne sont que des oligarchies parlementaires. Le christianisme releve ses concepts d'egalite, de justice et de philanthropie a la pensee democratique. L'epilogue contient des propositions pour une revigorisation de la democratie.