Unit 1: Rise of Democracy

Unit 1: Sources of the Democratic Tradition

10.1 Students relate the moral and ethical principles in ancient Greek and Roman philosophy, in Judaism, and in Christianity to the development of Western political thought.

1. Analyze the similarities and differences in Judeo-Christian and Greco-Roman views of law, reason and faith, and duties of the individual.

2. Trace the development of the Western political ideas of the rule of law and illegitimacy of tyranny, using selections from Plato's Republic and Aristotle's Politics.

3. Consider the influence of the U.S. Constitution on political systems in the contemporary world.

Textbook Readings: Chapter 1 Section 1-5

Section 1: The Greek Roots of Democracy pg. 8-17

Reading Key Terms and Focus Questions:

City-state

Monarchy

Sparta

Athens

Democracy

Tyrant

Legislature

Pericles

Jury

Socrates

Plato

Plato’s Republic

Aristotle

Aristotle’s Politics

Section 1: The Greek Roots of Democracy

1. What process took city-states from monarchy to aristocracy and, in Athens, to democracy?

2. What progress did the Greeks under Pericles make towards a democratic government?

3. How do the ideas of Ancient Greece contribute to the development of democratic values in the modern world?

4. What did Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, think of Democracy?

5. How did the ideas of the Ancient Greeks spread beyond Greece during the Hellenistic Age?

Section 2: The Roman Republic and Empire pg. 20-27

Republic

Consul

Dictator

Senate

Tribune

Veto

Plebians

Carthage

Julius Caesar

Augustus Caesar

Pax Romana

1. Did the Romans have examples of checks and balances within the Roman system of government? If so, what were they and how can their influences be seen in current governments?

2. How did the Roman Republic become an Empire?

3. Could the Romans have ruled in peace with only one form of government? Explain.

4. Which lasting principles of law did the Romans develop?

Section 3: Principles of Judaism p. 28- 32

Jerusalem

Abraham

Moses

Monotheistic

Covenant

Sabbath

Prophet

Ethics

Diaspora

1. What role did migration play in the history of the Israelites?

2. How did the Jews’ beliefs differ from those of other nearby people?

3. What moral and ethical principles lie at the core of the Jewish religion?

4. What important democratic ideas did Judaism promote through its ethical view of the world?

Section 4: Rise of Christianity p. 33-39

Jesus

Tolerance

Messiah

Clergy

Apostle

Paul

1. Why were many Jewish people wary of Jesus’ preachings and appearance in Jerusalem?

2. Why is Paul considered a key figure in the spread of Christianity?

3. How was Christianity able to spread despite attacks and criticism against its followers?

4. How is the Judeo-Christian tradition related to the democratic tradition?

5. Analyze the similarities and differences in Judeo-Christian and Greco-Roman views of law, reason and faith, and duties of the individual.

Section 5: Democratic Developments in England pg. 40-47

Feudalism

William the Conqueror

Henry II

Common law

Absolute monarch

Oliver Cromwell

Habeas Corpus

Limited Monarchy

1. How did the growth of royal power change from 1000 to 1688?

2. How did England change under Henry II?

3. Why and how did monarchs in England develop differently than their European counterparts?

4. Explain the increasing strength of the English Parliament.

5. What were the causes and consequences of the English Civil War?

6. What are the key principles of the Magna Carta, Petition of Right, and the English Bill of Rights?