This week’s lecture is about the mostly pronounced word among politicians, which is “Democracy”. Mr Hamid conducted the lecture. There were many systems of governance held in the ancient world. Obviously some are still existing and practiced in certain countries such as Monarchy, Oligarchy, Dictatorship and Theocracy and so on. Democracy is a Greek word which has a similar meaning to “power of people” in English. The definition itself says democracy kind of government in which people have equal rights.
As history says in the Christian era, which means after the death of Jesus Christ, the church started to impose its control in every aspect. For instance in education, politics and so on. Whoever stands against them and give statements against their ideology even if it is scientific facts were sentenced to death. This is the core factor which made people to think of a system without the intervention of the church or more specifically a religious free government system. Hence scholars and philosophers started to prove with biblical references the need of separation of religion and state.
John Locke and Voltaire are key icons in producing such an ideology. Eventually it shaped with name “Secularism”. Jean Jacques Rousseau stated that regardless of religion everyone should follow a common moral code, which he described as “civil religion”. Secularism is defined as a country does not look at religious references for its social function and follows a common code which does not belong to any religion.
Professor Avengelos mentioned about ancient Greek system of governance. Though it was quiet near to democracy it looked at women and slaves in a different perspective and further they were not granted permission to vote. At the end there was
questioned posed to audience regarding today’s democracy. So students started to comment saying there is democracy today but merely as a word, no country follows it.
This lecture made me think about the Islamic law which I believe the divinely law. Is it suitable for today’s world? Will people find this a better replacement for democracy? With these questions echoing in my mind our class ended.
Week 7- Reflective Diary
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