Ancient Athenian democratic knowledge and citizenship: connectivity and intercultural implications

Abstract

This paper explores the implications that ancient Athens had for modern representative democracies and the links that can be made to the philosophical principles that form the essence of intercultural education. Such an exploration shows that modern democratic societies have ignored many key aspects of the important legacy left to us by these early experiments in democracy. It also shows how ancient Greece was a society deeply and profoundly shaped by the multicultural environment in which it existed.

Keywords:

• Athenian democracy
• representative democracy
• history of democracy
• history of interculturalism