CICHOCKI Marek Aleksander - From the Greek Agora to the Ukrainian Euromaidan: the History of Ideas of Democracy in Europe (8h)

The aim of the course will be to present the historical sources of the democratic ideas in Europe and to seek the answers to the question of why the democratic identity is a crucial element of European identity.

The course will show the process of democratization on the example of its subsequent “waves” which have been continuing on our continent for the last 200 years.

At the same time European democracy is something more than just the process of modernization and formation of the modern nation state which started from the French revolution. Therefore, during the course we will look back to previous traditions of shaping democratic identity, such as the classical Greek approach to democracy as opposed to tyranny which is directly linked to the idea of human political freedom and equality.

The ancient notion of democracy subsequently gave form and content to political traditions of various societies in different parts of Europe. The course will aim at presenting how it has shaped our modern political identity in different periods of our continent’s history and in its different parts.

We will finally refer to the current problem of democratic crisis in Europe which is linked to the increasing problem of democratic deficit and at the same time rises hope for new prospect for democracy mainly seen in transnational forms of democratic government or in new democratic movements. // ECTS Card

Professor: Marek Aleksander CICHOCKI