CLAS 1P91 Seminar #6 Questions

1. What does Pericles mean when he calls Athens the “School of Hellas”? - Pericles referred to Athens as the "School of Hellas" because of its cultural and intellectual achievements. Athens was the center of Greek culture, with many great thinkers and artists living or traveling there. Pericles believed that Athens had a duty to share its cultural and intellectual riches with the rest of Greece and set an example for other Greek cities to follow in matters of democracy and governance. Therefore, Athens was like a cultural and educational center where people could learn and be educated about the arts, philosophy, and culture of the time. 2. What are the most important values Pericles finds in the Athenian democracy? - Freedom: Pericles highlights that Athenian democracy is founded on the principles of freedom and autonomy. Athenians are free to express their opinions, to live their lives as they choose, and to participate in the political process. - Equality: Athenian democracy is based on the idea of equal participation. Regardless of wealth, power or social standing, everyone has the right to participate in the democratic process. - Education: Pericles stresses the importance of education in Athenian democracy. He believed that only an educated citizens could participate meaningfully in the democratic process. - Justice: Athenian democracy places a high value on the idea of justice. The legal system is designed to protect the interests of all citizens and ensure that they are treated fairly. - National pride: Pericles was proud of Athens and its democratic system. He believed that Athenian democracy was superior to other systems of government, and that it was the foundation of Athenian prosperity and power. 3. What is Pericles’ attitude toward women and non-Athenians? Does this affect your view of his other arguments? - He considered women to be inferior to men and believed that they should stay at home and not involve themselves in public life. He considered non-Athenians to be inferior to Athenians and believed that they posed a threat to Athens' security. - This negatively affects my view of his other arguments because his beliefs are discriminatory and exclusionary towards certain groups of people. Such beliefs show a lack of inclusivity and equity, which may make his other arguments also questionable. While Pericles makes some valid points about the greatness of Athens and the importance of democracy, his discriminatory views cannot be overlooked or justified. 4. Why does the “Old Oligarch” think that “rascals fare better than good citizens” in the Athenian democracy? Who are the “rascals” of whom he speaks? What does he mean by “good citizens”? - The "Old Oligarch" believes that "rascals fare better than good citizens" in Athenian democracy because the system is set up to reward those who cater to the desires of the majority, even if it means catering to their worst instincts. - Democracy rewards those who can manipulate public opinion and immediately cater to the desires of the majority, rather than those who have the state's best interests at heart. Consequently, those who care about the long-term well-being of the state often find it difficult to gain influence in a democratic system, which leads the "Old Oligarch" to be skeptical of democracy's effectiveness. - The "rascals" he refers to are those who flatter the people, make extravagant promises, and pander to their base desires for short-term gain, rather than promoting the long-term interests of the state - The "good citizens," on the other hand, are those who are more concerned with the well-being of the state and who are less inclined to engage in the kind of demagoguery that appeals to the majority. 5. What does the “Old Oligarch” mean by the “best element” of society? Why does he think this part of society is opposed to democracy?