Is democracy the best expression of justice, virtues and citizenship?

dc.contributor.authorSouth African Society for Greek Philosophy and the Humanities
dc.contributor.upauthorAntonites, Alex J.
dc.date.accessioned2009-09-16T07:17:35Z
dc.date.available2009-09-16T07:17:35Z
dc.date.issued2000
dc.description.abstractAristotle's concept of rationality which involves a virtuous life stands in continuity with contemporary democratic states. This rational virtue as wisdom obtains an enlarged interpretation in contemporary democracies. People of today in democracies are also moved by virtue towards happiness. Virtue still leads to that end. In this sense Aristotle is a good key to the understanding of what happens in contemporary democracies. As we saw, Aristotle, although not using the words interests or utilitarianism, he does make positive statements about human needs, which in fact are interests in the polis. The responsibility of a free human rational being to its own actions is exactly what is required today in democracies. As Aristotle said, it could be hampered by ignorance, force, coercion or absence of insight. Similarly, as for Aristotle, actions are guided not by mathematically styled rules, but by wisdom, phronesis, by virtue. Aristotle's demand that justice involves treating people in a fair way, i.e. fairness, is seen to be no more urgent and important than in contemporary democracies, especially where a multi-cultural and multi-religious set up prevails. The main point, however, is in conclusion, that in non-democratic states of today, these things could not and cannot be manifested fully. Aristotle's views applied to today leads to democracy!en
dc.description.urihttp://explore.up.ac.za/record=b1411260en_US
dc.format.extentAppears in Phronimon, Volume 2 Number 1 (2000)en_US
dc.format.medium14 Pagesen_US
dc.identifier.citationAntonites, AJ 2000, 'Is democracy the best expression of justice, virtues and citizenship?', Phronimon, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 1-14.en_US
dc.identifier.issn1561-4018
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/11272
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherSouth African Society for Greek Philosophy and the Humanitiesen_US
dc.rightsSouth African Society for Greek Philosophy and the Humanitiesen_US
dc.subjectCitizenshipsen
dc.subjectRationalityen
dc.subjectVirtuous lifeen
dc.subjectContemporary democratic statesen
dc.subjectHuman needsen
dc.subject.lcshDemocracyen
dc.subject.lcshJustice (Philosophy)en
dc.subject.lcshVirtueen
dc.subject.lcshAristotle -- Contributions in philosophy of justiceen
dc.subject.lcshContemporary, Theen
dc.subject.lcshWisdomen
dc.subject.lcshHappinessen
dc.subject.lcshFairnessen
dc.titleIs democracy the best expression of justice, virtues and citizenship?en_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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