Educating the polis: Thucydides’ solution to the Athenian democracy
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2015-07-28
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Thesis
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en_US
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Abstract
This thesis argues that Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War presents itself as a solution to the
criticisms of democratic deliberation present in the work. Instead of rejecting the democratic
framework, Thucydides uses written debate as a means to instruct readers about mass psychology.
This paper analyzes the internal debates within the work to illuminate how Thucydides prepares
readers for democratic politics by guiding them through the past successes and failures of the
Assembly. Thucydides’ speeches serve as both a test and a lesson for readers, ultimately imparting
readers with the ability to guide the people towards reasoned decisions by reflecting on the specifics
of situations and reacting appropriately. The lessons encourage readers to become politicians that
are simultaneously flexible in their means of persuasion and firm in their opinions.