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Property rights and democratic values in Bronze Age and Archaic Greece

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  • Kyriazis, Nicholas
  • Economou, Emmanouel/Marios/Lazaros

Abstract

In the present essay we introduce the concept of macroculture as a complex of mutually supporting values, norms and beliefs in various areas of human activity, like war, religion, politics, athletics, etc. in a model. Then, by applying the concept of bounded rationality, we analyse how some macrocultures that are favorable or the ‘precondition’ for the emergence of democracy and institutions develop, in particular property rights, that foster economic development. We analyze this for Bronze Age and Archaic Greece, as being the historical case where such a macroculture favorable to democracy and stable property rights first emerged. Our main findings indicate that during Mycenaean and Archaic age period, the emergence of various elements of macroculture, in warfare, religion, city-state environment and athletic games evolved into similar proto-democratic values leading to the establishment of democracy as a political phenomenon in Classical Greece.

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  • Kyriazis, Nicholas & Economou, Emmanouel/Marios/Lazaros, 2012. "Property rights and democratic values in Bronze Age and Archaic Greece," MPRA Paper 42399, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:42399
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    Cited by:

    1. Kyriazis, Nicholas & Economou, Emmanouel/Marios/Lazaros, 2013. "A Comparative analysis of federations: The Achaean federation and the European Union," MPRA Paper 57287, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Economou, Emmanouil Marios Lazaros & Kyriazis, Nicholas, 2014. "Property Rights and Democratic Values in pre-Classical Greece," MPRA Paper 57286, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Economou, Emmanouel/Marios/Lazaros & Kyriazis, Nicholas, 2012. "Macroculture, Athletics and Democracy in ancient Greece," MPRA Paper 45903, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Nicholas Kyriazis & Emmanouil Economou, 2015. "Macroculture, sports and democracy in classical Greece," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 40(3), pages 431-455, December.
    5. Economou, Emmanouel/Marios/Lazaros & Kyriazis, Nicholas, 2013. "The emergence and the development of the federations: The Achaean federation, the United Provinces and the EU," MPRA Paper 47349, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Kyriazis, Nicholas & Paparrigopoulos, Xenophon & Economou, Emmanouel/Marios/Lazaros, 2013. "The Glue of Democracy: Economics, Warfare and Values in Classical Greece," MPRA Paper 45117, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Macroculture; Democracy; Property rights; Ancient Greece;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • P41 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Other Economic Systems - - - Planning, Coordination, and Reform
    • Z12 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Religion
    • P48 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Other Economic Systems - - - Legal Institutions; Property Rights; Natural Resources; Energy; Environment; Regional Studies
    • N40 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation - - - General, International, or Comparative

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