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Examples Of Participation In Antigone

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In the eyes of the Classical Greeks, political participation is the manifestation of the most important of freedoms. Those who were most useful to society, to their polis, were those who made the most of their capability to think and speak in such a way as to benefit those around them. Unlike the modern man, and specifically the modern American, the Greeks, in the words of Paul Rahe in his “Primacy of Politics in Ancient Greece”, “did not value political freedom for the sake of life, liberty, and property; they valued the last three for the sake of the first” (Rahe 279). This notion of political action being the foundation of a functional society is not one that is implemented today—most Americans consider the government to be infringing on …show more content…

Based on her inherent lack of a Y-chromosome, Antigone lacks the ability for political participation. Rahe outlines the unfortunate reality for the Greeks as recorded by Aristotle, that “[they] exclude women even though they possess this capacity [for rational argument, cooperative action, and prudential deliberation] because it is without authority over them” (Rahe 276). Yet, Antigone was able to be the only character of the play to truly make use of her political freedom by recognizing her responsibility to the polis without needing to be prompted—regardless of her status as a clearly inferior …show more content…

This proves that the modern notion of political freedom may have some merit after all. A citizen can utilize free speech and radical thinking in an attempt to usher in an era of change, and it can occur without once setting foot on the floor of the Assembly. In fact, in a society in which the government and politicians are often viewed with much skepticism, activism and movements that can take place extra-politically would be more favorably looked upon. As Rahe states, today, societies tend to “value political freedom for the sake of life, liberty, and property; [the Greeks] valued the last three for the sake of the first” (Rahe 279). There’s nothing wrong with using politics as a means to an end, but the point that Rahe is making is a valid one. Too often, political bodies succeed (or fail) at accomplishing a task, those involved in supporting or opposing the motion cease to follow through. The journey to the end ceases before the end is reached, as people lose motivation and a cause loses momentum. In a society aligning more closely with the Greeks in which societal stability hinges on the assumption that those few who are given the right to participate actually will, the chances of something fizzling out before it can be realized would likely be much

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