Rule of Law, Individual Rights and the Free Market in the Liberal Tradition: The Case of Greece

Bridging the Gap: An Arab-European Dialogue on the Basics of Liberalism, Ronald Meinardus, ed. Cairo: Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty, 2014. Pp. 27-43

17 Pages Posted: 14 Jun 2013 Last revised: 31 Jan 2014

See all articles by Aristides N. Hatzis

Aristides N. Hatzis

University of Athens - Department of History & Philosophy of Science; National and Kapodistrian University of Athens - Faculty of Law; Athens University of Economics and Business - Department of Economics

Date Written: January 2014

Abstract

The western liberal tradition is closely connected with the idea of rights and the rule of law. Rule of law is the idea of a civil society governed by a Constitution which sets limits to government power and protects individual rights against any authority, even against the political will of a majority. The development of the western democratic theory from Ancient Athens to the British parliamentary system, the American Constitution and the French Revolution is mostly a development of two different and often contrasting principles: the democratic principle of people’s sovereignty and the liberal principle of the protection of individual rights. The balance between these two principles defines the quality of constitutional democracy. Greece was one of the first liberal democracies of the modern era. Nevertheless, contemporary Greece lags behind modern liberal democracies in many respects. The experience of Greece could be most useful for the new Arab democracies and Egypt in particular.

Keywords: Liberalism, Rights, Rule of Law, Free Market, Democratic Principle, Liberal Principle, Liberal Democracy, Harm Principle, Personal Autonomy, Greece, John Stuart Mill, James Madison

Suggested Citation

Hatzis, Aristides N., Rule of Law, Individual Rights and the Free Market in the Liberal Tradition: The Case of Greece (January 2014). Bridging the Gap: An Arab-European Dialogue on the Basics of Liberalism, Ronald Meinardus, ed. Cairo: Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty, 2014. Pp. 27-43, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2279045

Aristides N. Hatzis (Contact Author)

University of Athens - Department of History & Philosophy of Science ( email )

University Campus
Ano Ilisia
Athens, 15771
Greece
+30 210 7275565 (Phone)
+30 210 7275530 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.phs.uoa.gr/ahatzis

National and Kapodistrian University of Athens - Faculty of Law

Athens
Greece

Athens University of Economics and Business - Department of Economics ( email )

Athens
Greece

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