Democratic phantasies: Political imagination and the Athenian democracy

This dissertation explores the role of imagination in the ancient Athenian democracy and classical political thought. I argue that the imagination has several political functions crucial for our capacity to balance innovation and tradition, stability and change, and individual freedom and collective identity. The imagination is responsible for human creativity and innovation, which tend to thrive and flourish in a free society. Yet, such imaginative creativity can become destabilizing and self-undermining. To flourish, society must ensure some degree of continuity, tradition, and stability. The imagination allows for this as well, supporting a wide range of institutions, norms, ideas, and values that foster society’s predictable operation. Understanding this balance of imagination sheds new light on the success of the Athenian democracy and carries significant insights into some fundamental tensions at the heart of liberal democracy today.