Origen de la Democracia: ¿Qué es y de dónde viene?

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27 Aug 202005:03

Summary

TLDRThis video script explores the concept of democracy, tracing its origins from ancient Greece and Athens' development of a government system that lasted 200 years. It highlights the key institutions of Athenian democracy: the Council of 500, the Assembly, and the People's Courts. The script contrasts Athenian democracy with Rome's republic, noting Rome's Senate held more power. It also discusses the evolution to representative democracy in the 18th century as cities grew, making direct participation challenging.

Takeaways

🌍 Democracy is a system of government where power lies in the hands of the people.
🏛️ The term 'democracy' originates from the Greek words 'demos' meaning people and 'kratos' meaning power.
📚 Ancient Athens is a notable birthplace of democracy, with its development around 500 years before the common era.
🏛️ In Athens, democracy was practiced through institutions such as the Council of 500, the Assembly, and the People's Courts.
🗳️ Athenian democracy was not inclusive of all adults; only adult male citizens and non-slaves could participate.
🗣️ The Assembly in Athens allowed citizens to discuss and vote on matters affecting their private and public lives.
🏛️ Rome also had a form of popular government, but it was called a republic, not democracy.
🌐 The Roman Republic had an Assembly where citizens could participate and vote, but the Senate held more power.
🌐 As Rome expanded into an Empire, it included Greece but did not change its system of direct participation in the Assembly.
🏙️ The challenge of direct participation in large cities led to the formation of alliances or confederations as a solution.
🗓️ The development of representative democracy in 18th century Northern Europe marked a significant shift in democratic theory.

Q & A

What does the word 'democracy' etymologically mean?
-The word 'democracy' comes from the Greek words 'demos' meaning people, and 'kratos' meaning power, thus it can be defined as power in the hands of the people or government by the people.
Where does the concept of democracy originate?
-The concept of democracy has its roots in ancient Greece, notably in Athens, around 500 years before the common era.
How did the ancient Athenians practice democracy?
-Ancient Athenians practiced democracy through institutions such as the Council of 500, the Assembly where citizens voted, and the People's Courts. Only adult male citizens and non-slaves could participate.
What was the role of the Assembly in Athenian democracy?
-The Assembly in Athenian democracy was a place where citizens could discuss and vote on various public and private matters, such as economic, religious, or war affairs, by raising their hands.
Who was Pericles and what was his contribution to Athenian democracy?
-Pericles was a notable statesman in Athens who established a political regime where laws were not emulated from other peoples and decisions were not imposed by a few but voted on freely and voluntarily by the majority.
How did Rome practice a form of popular government before becoming an empire?
-Before becoming an empire, Rome practiced a form of popular government through a system where citizens could participate and vote in assemblies, but unlike Athens, the Senate always held more power than the assembly.
What was the term used by the Romans for their form of government before it was an empire?
-The Romans did not call their form of government 'democracy' but 'republic', which can be translated to 'res publica' or 'public thing'.
How did the expansion of Rome affect the practice of direct democracy?
-As Rome expanded and became an empire, it included Greece in its conquests but did not change its system of direct participation in the assembly. However, it became difficult for those living far from the cities to participate.
What was the solution to the problem of citizens' participation as cities grew in size?
-As cities grew, some formed alliances or confederations with other city-states or political associations to address the problem of citizen participation. However, this issue was not truly resolved until the development of a representative system.
When and where did the representative system of democracy emerge?
-The representative system of democracy emerged in Northern Europe in the 18th century, marking a significant shift in democratic theory.
What is the difference between direct democracy and representative democracy?
-Direct democracy involves citizens participating and voting directly on issues, as seen in ancient Athens and Rome. Representative democracy, which developed later, involves citizens electing representatives who make decisions on their behalf.

Outlines

00:00

🏛️ Origins and Evolution of Democracy

The paragraph delves into the concept of democracy, starting with its etymology from the Greek words 'demos' meaning people and 'kratos' meaning power, suggesting it as 'power of the people' or 'popular government'. It traces its origins back to ancient Greece, particularly Athens, around 500 years before the common era. However, it notes that democracy didn't have a precise starting point but likely emerged naturally in ancient tribal societies. The paragraph describes the Athenian model of democracy with its three main institutions: the Council of 500, the Assembly, and the People's Courts. It emphasizes that only adult male citizens and non-slaves could participate in these democratic processes. The script also mentions the Roman Republic as another example of early popular government, contrasting it with Athenian democracy by highlighting the persistent dominance of the Senate over the Assembly. It concludes by discussing the challenges of direct participation in large cities and the eventual development of representative democracy in 18th-century Europe.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Democracy

Democracy is a system of government where power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or through elected representatives. In the video, it is discussed as a desirable form of governance with origins in ancient Greece, particularly Athens, where it was practiced as a direct form of government with citizens participating in decision-making.

💡Etymology

Etymology is the study of the history of words and the way in which their meanings have changed over time. The script uses the etymology of 'democracy' to explain its meaning, deriving from the Greek words 'demos' (people) and 'kratos' (power), illustrating how language shapes our understanding of concepts.

💡Athens

Athens is highlighted as a key location in the development of democracy. The video describes how Athens in ancient Greece established a form of direct democracy with institutions such as the Council of 500, the Assembly, and the People's Courts, allowing male citizens to participate in governance.

💡Cleisthenes

Cleisthenes is mentioned as a leader who played a pivotal role in the development of democracy in Athens. He is credited with reforms that led to a more inclusive form of governance, which is a central part of the historical narrative about the evolution of democracy presented in the video.

💡City-state

A city-state, or 'polis' in Greek, refers to a sovereign state that consists of a city and its surrounding territories. The video uses the concept of the city-state to explain how democracy was applied within a unified community structure in ancient Greece.

💡Assembly

The Assembly was a key institution in Athenian democracy where citizens would gather to vote and discuss matters of public interest. The video emphasizes its role in allowing direct participation and decision-making by the citizens, exemplifying the practical运作 of direct democracy.

💡Pericles

Pericles was a prominent statesman of Athens and a significant figure in the development of democracy. The video quotes him to illustrate the principles of Athenian democracy, where laws were not imposed but decided upon by the majority through free and voluntary voting.

💡Rome

Rome is mentioned in contrast to Athens, showing an alternative form of popular government that Romans called a republic. The video discusses how Romans had an assembly for decision-making, but unlike Athens, the Senate held more power, indicating variations in the practice of democracy.

💡Senate

The Senate in ancient Rome was a governing body that held more power than the assembly of citizens. The script uses the Senate to contrast the Roman model of governance with the more direct democracy of Athens, showing the differences in how power was distributed.

💡Representative Democracy

Representative democracy is a system where citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf. The video suggests that this form of democracy emerged as a response to the challenges of direct participation in large and expanding states, marking a significant shift in democratic theory and practice.

💡Confederation

A confederation is a union of states or regions with a central government that has limited powers. The video mentions confederations as a method used by some cities to address the challenges of direct democracy in larger territories, showing an evolution in political structures to accommodate democratic principles.

Highlights

Democracy is a desirable system of government where power is in the hands of the people.

The word 'democracy' comes from the Greek words 'demos' meaning people and 'kratos' meaning power.

Democracy's origins trace back to ancient Greece, notably in Athens, around 500 years before the common era.

Democracy likely emerged naturally in ancient human tribes as a decision-making system.

In Athens, under the leadership of Cleisthenes, a complex system of democracy began to develop.

The 'polis' or city-state was the unit of democracy in ancient Greece.

Athens established three main institutions: the Council of 500, the Assembly, and the People's Courts.

The Assembly was where citizens could participate in decision-making through open discussions and voting.

Only adult male citizens and non-slaves could participate in the Athenian democracy.

The Assembly allowed citizens to be heard and express their thoughts freely on public and private matters.

Pericles established a political regime where laws were not emulated from others and decisions were made by the majority.

In Rome, before becoming an empire, a form of popular government was introduced, known as a republic.

The Roman Senate always held more power than the Assembly of citizens.

As Rome expanded, it included Greece in its conquests but did not change its direct participation system in the Assembly.

Direct democracy in assemblies became difficult as cities grew, leading to the formation of alliances or confederations.

The representative system emerged in Northern Europe in the 18th century as a solution to the challenges of direct participation.

Representative democracy marked a significant shift in democratic theory.