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In 594 BC, Solon carried out reforms, abolished debt slavery (that is, all debts mortgaged by citizens), reclassified citizens of the city-state according to the amount of property, improved the power of the citizens' assembly, and set up a meeting of 400 people and a jury court as the highest administrative and judicial organs, which adjusted the interests of different classes in the citizens' collective and laid the foundation of democracy in Athens. The tyrannical rule of peisistratus (about the end of 7th century BC-527 BC) and his descendants (560 BC-5 BC10, with two interruptions) objectively attacked the gentry and nobles, improved the economic status of small farmers as citizens, and promoted the economic and cultural development of Athens. In 508 BC, Cleisthenes's political reform replaced the consanguineous organization as the administrative unit of the country, and replaced the 400-member conference with the 500-member conference, thus expanding its own authority. A team of 50 people was set up to handle daily administrative affairs, and a committee of ten generals was set up. This reform promoted the development of Athenian democracy, completely removed the obstacles of clan system, and marked the final establishment of Athenian democracy.

The characteristics of Athenian democracy:

1, official positions at all levels (except ten generals) are open to the public by lottery;

2. The 500-member conference is governed by the people's jury, and the aristocratic conference loses all political rights;

3. Pay wages or subsidies to citizens who hold public office or engage in city-state activities. In the past, nobles were in power for free, so it was difficult for civilians to hold public office without income.

4. Expand the scale and authority of the jury court to make it the highest judicial and supervisory organ.

The influence of Athenian democracy

With the prevalence of ancient monarchy, Athenian democracy provided a new situation of collective management for mankind, and created democratic operation modes based on the legal system, such as differential election system, tenure system, parliamentary system and proportional representation system. The core of Athenian democracy is the direct participation of citizens. In principle, citizens have the right to decide and manage state affairs through elections and hold government posts at all levels. This advanced ancient political system created a wide range of opportunities for citizens to participate in politics, stimulated citizens' freedom and pioneering spirit, and promoted the social, economic and cultural development of Athens, which was historic and progressive.

Specifically:

1. Democracy is conducive to correct decision-making.

2. Democracy helps to correct mistakes.

Democracy helps to supervise the government to serve the public and reduce the possibility of abusing power for personal gain.

4. Democracy is conducive to the extensive and in-depth development of culture.

The limitations of Athenian democracy

1. It is easy to lead to the tyranny of the majority and the misunderstanding of the country.

2. Naive at the operational level, the rationality of the procedure is not equal to the rationality of the result.

3. It is democracy within the citizens of the city-state, and only adult male citizens really enjoy rights. Women and children, foreigners and slaves are excluded. While giving full play to its positive role, it contributed to the prosperity of Athens' politics, economy and culture, and at the same time brutally stifled and restricted the self-development ability of another part of society. It is not only the catalyst of great civilization, but also the violent machine of social injustice, which is its greatest historical limitation.