The Limitations of Athenian Democratic System from the Perspective of Citizenship and Women’s Status

Abstract

Athens is hailed as the birthplace of Western democracy, and its democratic system in the classical period laid an important foundation for the development of modern democracy. However, this system was inherently exclusive and restrictive, which was prominently refl ected in the narrow scope of citizenship and the extremely low social status of women. This paper takes citizenship and women’s status as the core perspectives, explores the connotation and limitations of Athenian citizenship, analyzes the political, economic and social status of women in Athenian society, reveals the essential limitations of Athenian democratic system, summarizes its historical enlightenment, and provides a reference for the understanding of the origin and development of democracy.