Rational Freedom and Social Democracy

Dissecting the concept of democracy in the classic literature of the West in three historical sections of the political philosophy of ancient Greece, Christian political philosophy and political philosophy of modern age, the present paper demonstrates why and how democracy in the political philosophy of the West bears a meaning that is directed towards an ideal end. In other words, by dissecting the concept of democracy as a means or method for republic and by looking at democracy in the eyes of social democracy, it seeks to show that before its association to the form of the republic (community), democracy is related to a content whose ideal can be achieved by nothing but rational freedom. This paper seeks to demonstrate that Plato's theory of dutifulness, Aristotle's theory of humanitarianism and divine law-orientation which church members advocate are not essentially different from what is known as liberalism in modern time and after the formulation and of Hobbes and Locke's theories, in terms of their content. What is referred as liberalism or liberal democracy is something which has to do with content not with form, and so it can be reread in previous philosopher's view and reinterpreted in modern philosopher's view.