THE SEPARATION OF POWERS IN ANCIENT ATHENS Cover Image

О ПОДЕЛИ ВЛАСТИ У АНТИЧКОЈ АТИНИ
THE SEPARATION OF POWERS IN ANCIENT ATHENS

Author(s): Sanja M. Gligić
Subject(s): History of Law, Political history, Ancient World
Published by: Правни факултет Универзитета у Београду
Keywords: The separation of powers; Graphe paranomon; Democracy; The political institutions; Aristotlel;

Summary/Abstract: In Western political theory, ever since Montesquieu formulated his theory of the tripartite separation of powers in the eighteenth century, there has always been a strong sense that the legislature, the executive and the judiciary ought to be independent bodies. There have even been attempts to read this doctrine back into ancient Athens, relying most heavily on Aristotle’s distinction between ekklesiazein (being an assembly-member), arkhein (being a public official) and dikazein (sitting as a judge). The main objective of this article is to examine that ancient political theorists had no reason to regard Montesquieu’s theories as normative. Moreover, Aristotle’s purpose in this passage lies in classifying the functions that go to make up a full citizen, and nowhere does he suggest that these powers ought to be exercise by different people.

  • Issue Year: 58/2010
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 315-336
  • Page Count: 22
  • Language: Serbian