TY - JFULL AU - Nicholas Kyriazis and Emmanouil Marios L. Economou and Jr and Loukas Zachilas PY - 2012/12/ TI - Direct Democracy and Social Contract in Ancient Athens T2 - International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences SP - 3085 EP - 3091 VL - 6 SN - 1307-6892 UR - https://publications.waset.org/pdf/5579 PU - World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology NX - Open Science Index 71, 2012 N2 - In the present essay, a model of choice by actors is analysedby utilizing the theory of chaos to explain how change comes about. Then, by using ancient and modern sources of literature, the theory of the social contract is analysed as a historical phenomenon that first appeared during the period of Classical Greece. Then, based on the findings of this analysis, the practice of direct democracy and public choice in ancient Athens is analysed, through two historical cases: Eubulus and Lycurgus political program in the second half of the 4th century. The main finding of this research is that these policies can be interpreted as an implementation of a social contract, through which citizens were taking decisions based on rational choice according to economic considerations. ER -