Ancient Greek Democracy and American Republicanism
Prometheus in Political Theory
Traces the remnants of Ancient Greek democratic thought in American Republicanism
- Discusses important and influential works of ancient Greek tragedy, such as Aeschylus’ Prometheus Bound and Euripides' Trojan Women
- Reformulates Arendt’s approach to the American Revolution with the French Revolution, where she traces elements of ancient Greek democracy in modernity
- Builds on Lasch’s views on the Populist movement, while reflecting on Aristotle’s Politics and Nicomachean Ethics, to deepen our understanding of participatory political possibilities from ancient to modern times
- Incorporates abolitionist perspectives on the concept of ‘political Prometheanism’, showing how important debates on contemporary challenges are central to our understanding of the feasibility of participatory politics
Ancient Greek Democracy and American Republicanism explores the archetype of Prometheus in political theory, representing faith in human agency and self-governance. It borrows perspectives from Hannah Arendt and Christopher Lasch, tracing Promethean elements in the philosophy behind the ancient Athenian polis as well as in early American republican thought, which laid the foundations of the American Revolution and also of the Populist Movement during the nineteenth century.
The second principle of Prometheanism revolves around a 'tragic vision' of life and human nature; Prometheanism questions optimistic ideologies advocating human perfection or endless improvement. Ancient Greek democracy and early American republicanism maintain a balanced – else called melioristic – approach to human agency and potential. They value the importance of action, without promising endless betterment and assured happiness. Finally, cultural heritage and identity are seen as crucial for participatory (Promethean) politics. With this in mind, the book criticises mainstream liberal trends and questions the ardent optimism and cultural nihilism of the republicanism of the French Revolution.
Acknowledgements
Introduction: Delving into Promethean Politics: Uncovering Ancient Greek Roots and American Traditions
1. Prometheanism and Action: Beyond Hannah Arendt
2. Anti-Prometheanism: Political Pessimism and Liberal Optimism
3. Dispensing the Leviathan: Ethical Memory and Parrhesia
4. The French and the American Revolutions: ‘No Voice but an Echo’.
5. American Populism: The ‘Lost Promethean Treasure’
Epilogue: Forging the Future: Promethean Principles in Modernity and Beyond
The book recovers the ancient and modern democratic experience through the lens of contemporary interpreters such as Arendt and Lasch to reconstruct a populist - 'Promethean', in Theodosiadis' words - version of democracy as a way out of our troubled politics. This is an essential book for rethinking democracy in our political context.
Theodosiadis demonstrates a remarkable capacity to engage with an extensive corpus of literature while critically evaluating different arguments and viewpoints in a balanced and nuanced way. The book adds greatly to our understanding of the range of democratic possibilities, based on ancient and modern paths taken (or not taken at all). [Theodosiadis] offers a compelling critique of contemporary liberalism’s faith in unre-strained progress.
