Deomocracy

Athens and the birth of democracy

Using the link for guidance, be prepared answer the following questions.

1.Who were the people that were able to vote in Ancient Greece. How does this compare with Canada of 2014? Canada of 1917? (4th paragraph down)

2. What decisions did the voters of ancient Greece make? Or Make a Pun about something to do with Democracy. 

3.What is the problem of people having to gather to vote on every decision? What solution did the ancient Greeks come up with? What solution do we use for this problem in Canada?

4. Their are concerns with how Canadians choose their representatives. Some of the concerns are: Majority Governments have great power, but seldom get elected with a majority of the votes. Many votes don't lead to representation, such as the Green Party getting a million votes but a single seat. More people are becoming disillusioned with our system of democracy and not bothering to vote now, especially younger people. The Federal government has proposed a transfer vote system, which at one time used to be used here in Manitoba. Give a suggestion to improve our system of government or comment on the proposed change.  

What is Right?

This past week the details have come out about the government of the United States being involved in torture to gain information for their War on Terror. It has been known for several years that the Canadian government knowingly handed prisoners over to be tortured. Does the end justify the means? A philosophical question we are still grappling with.

The Battle of 300

The Shield

Explain the saying "Come back with your shield, or on it"

This is Sparta

Explore this link about Sparta. Know the word Spartan and Austere. We are studying Sparta since the 5th century B.C.E. With that in mind,  what 3 qualities were boys raised to have? What qualities were women expected to have? Be able to describe in a few sentences what growing up in Sparta would different for you than how you are growing up now.

Who below would be a Stoic and who would be a Peripatetic (a follower of Aristotle's philosophy)?

Thanks to the influence of Alexi's influence, a pun based on a famous philosophical principal. 

I Pun, Therefore I am

Philosophy

“Excellence is never an accident. It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, and intelligent execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives - choice, not chance, determines your destiny.”Aristotle

"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing." Socrates

"We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light." Plato

Above are the 3 heavy hitters among a huge team of great Greek philosophers. Their names would appear on any Western list of history's most important philosophers.

Here is some information about Greek philosophy. 

1. Which city states did the famous thinkers Aristotle, Plato and Socrates come from?

2. How did they know each other?

3. What is the Socrates Method? What do you feel about this method?

4. Are you a stoic or a peripatetic? (optional question)

5. Who was put to death by the government (by drinking hemlock). Why would he do such a thing?

6. Who wrote The Republic, one of the most important works in philosophy and did much in shaping our sense of justice in the Western World.

7. Who thought the goal in life was to be happy?

Bonus, explain this pun: Icarus told Alexi "Careful, don't fly to close to the pun"

Where is Ancient Greece?

Some Famous Dates for Ancient Greece

Below are some dates from Ancient Greece


Classical Greek Period (Our primary area of study) ~500-323 bce
Democracy first starts to grow in Athens 507 bce
Battle of Marathon 490 bce
Parthenon built 447-432 bce
Rome starts to take over Greece 168 bc
Rome effectively controls Greece with the sacking of Corinth 146 bce
Battle of 300 480 bce
Socrates 469-399 bce
Plato 424-347 bce
Aristotle 384-322 bce
Alexander the Great reigns and conquers 336-323 bce
Trojan War 1190 bce (?)