Assembly Quote by John Ralston Saul

“In early Greek society, particularly in Athens, democracy meant the equivalent of a permanent town meeting—all decisions of consequence were made in public assembly.…

— David H. Maister

“Several times the ancient Greeks attempted to utilize democratic mass participation in governing their city-states, but each time it resulted in tyranny. As the…

— Ben Carson

We are usually told that democracy originated in ancient Athens—like science, or philosophy, it was a Greek invention. It’s never entirely clear what this…

— David Graeber

The Athenian democracy suffered much from that narrowness of patriotism which is the ruin of all nations.

— H. G. Wells

“The individualism of the human organism is modern holism. Democracy is an attempt to replicate the political master's social division of labor in every…

— Mitchell Heisman

“There Pericles says that the essence of the Athenian democracy is that any citizen, regardless of class or profession, should be able to take…

— Thomas McEvilley

In Jefferson's mind democracy was tantamount to extreme individualism.

— Herbert Croly

Democracy doesn't mean much if people have to confront concentrated systems of economic power as isolated individuals. Democracy means something if people can organize…

— Noam Chomsky

I have no idea if some societies, anthropologically speaking, aren't really suited for democracy. I don't think that's true.

— P. J. O'Rourke

Democracy alone can supply the vitalizing force to stir the peoples of the world into triumphant action, not only against their human oppressors, but…

— Harry S. Truman

“Whether democracy or aristocracy is the better form of government constitutes a very difficult question. But, clearly, democracy inconveniences one person while aristocracy oppresses…

— Alexis de Tocqueville

“The great milestones of civilization always have the whiff of utopia about them at first. According to renowned sociologist Albert Hirschman, utopias are initially…

— Rutger Bregman