Democracia e representação: da Grécia antiga à revolução americana

Abstract

The article aims to contribute to the theoretical discussion on representative democracy through a comparative analysis of the concepts of democracy and representation concerning two historical periods: Greek Antiquity and the advent of representative republics. Therefore, a review of the thoughts of fundamental authors for the development of founding conceptions of democracy is carried out. Among its ancient representatives, the ideas of Plato and Aristotle are discussed; among the moderns, the work discussed is The Federalist, by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay. In addition, we seek to explain the transition from one conception of democracy to another and its limitations and potential. Finally, reflecting on how the two traditions helped shape current democracy, we rely on contemporary authors - such as Hanna Pitkin (2004), Ellen Wood (2011) and Nadia Urbinati (2005) - to think about how representative democracy can be improved.