Conclusion: The Key Lesson for Contemporary Democracy

Abstract

The Conclusion summarizes the argument that Athenians had to engage in a successful “economic struggle” in order to establish democracy. The chapter ends by noting that a similar struggle on the “material plane” is crucial today if we are to move beyond forms of public decision-making that disproportionately benefit society’s elite. The last few pages sketch out a strategy for action that draws on the Athenian experience, suggesting that any effective change must begin with fundamental alterations to the institutions of contemporary democracy.