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FREE LAW JOURNAL - VOLUME 1, NUMBER 1 (18 JULY 2005) 6. Thought can experience becoming at the level of imitation. This kind of becoming is primarily found among some animal social groups; for it is by an inherited instinct, thus by an imitation of nature, that these groups survive. So it is by imitation that the activities of social animals, such as bees, are transmitted from generation to generation. This kind of becoming is, however, found at the lowest level among human groups because the imitating group survives, and perpetuates its identity, by mediation of the imitated group. Also, thought can experience becoming at the level of intellectual activity, since it is the proper growth of a group, where to rise to historical self-awareness, to refute imitation, in a manner similar to the proper growth of human beings, where stepping into adulthood requires revolt against basic social ideas of dependency. Group thought can most experience becoming at the level of creative activity, for it is in creation that a group most rules over facts, and, therefore, can perpetuate for generations. 7. Thus, the democracy we want to propose deals with groups. But, since every group is constituted of individuals, it is, therefore, also concerned with the individual as part of the group, and the individual simpliciter. And the reason we are undertaking this study is that, since every individual is by nature inclined to be in a group, and since modern democracy considers that people rule only as individuals, a democracy that considers individuals must therefore also be one that considers groups. 8. If our democracy is concerned with groups, we must show what kind of group with which it is concerned. Understanding would be helpful for us, first, how the "rule of the people" is conceived under modern democracy, and second, what kind of group our democracy wants to investigate; for a group is part of the people; and to understand the part we must first understand its whole. 9. It is considered that democracy is the rule by the people, made out of the people, 2 since, just as a thing is governed by its source in the manner of an activity by its idea, so people's rule must be governed by the people. Also, in order for the people to rule, the rule of the people must be made for the people, since just as in order for a thing to be considered perfect it must be united to its source, as St. Thomas Aquinas states, for example, the starting and the ending point in a full circle, so the rule of the people must be made for the people. Still, for the people to rule, the rule must be made for the common good of the people, since just as the artist's activity is directed to the completion of the artist's idea, for an idea finds its satisfaction when it is completed, in a similar way the rule of the people is said to satisfy the people when it is completed for the common good of all people. 10. Now, the group is part of the people. And a group may participate in the government based on three precepts: (i) When a group participates in becoming, namely, in the evolution of thought; (ii) When the group's participation is made for the benefit of the wide world, and (iii) when the group's participation deals with the essence of things, and not only with their existence; for to participate in the development of the most basic principles that rule over the world at all times is most noble, yet most fruitful to all the world over. 11. From what has been said, then, our democracy is clearly concerned with groups, and primarily with historical groups, and a group is qualified as historical if it participates in the evolution of thought. B. NATURE OF DEMOCRACY OF HISTORY 12. That this democracy is not a national or regional democracy is clear from the historical group's activity. It is because of the universal character of a group's activity that an influence can be exerted on history as a whole. Now the influence that a national or a regional group can exert on the history of 2 See Alan Ider, “The American Democracy and Judicial Review”, 33 ARIZ. L. REV. 1 (1991). DR ANWAR FRANGI - DEMOCRACY OF HISTORY 9
FREE LAW JOURNAL - VOLUME 1, NUMBER 1 (18 JULY 2005) its region or state is related to that exerted by a group on history as a whole, as form is related to substance. Just as substance is prior to form in essence, and grounds its existence, so world history is prior to national or regional history, and grounds its existence. An idea that has participated in the evolution of world thought will certainly contribute in the evolution of national or regional history. Khalil Gibran, a Maronite Lebanese-American, has tremendously revolutionized the use of Arabic language in the Arab world. Gibran, however, was, in turn, deeply influenced by Friedreich Nietzsche, the German philosopher whose writings have more participated in the evolution of the world thought than Gibran's have, although passages from the latter's PROPHET, have been widely read, in lieu of passages from the New Testament, during marriage ceremonies in Protestant Churches in the United States, and in the wider world. 13. This democracy, then, is a Democracy of History, a historical science that studies historical groups, i.e., groups which have participated in the evolution of thought. 14. Having defined first what this democracy is concerned with, and then what it is, namely, Democracy of History, I must now show what this democracy intends to do with that with which it is concerned. C. OBJECT OF DEMOCRACY OF HISTORY 15. If the aim of Democracy of History is to show how a group is entitled to participate in its government based on its participation in the evolution of thought, establishing knowledge about this right, then, would justify this democracy's ultimate goal, namely, that there should be a new type of government that would answer to the common good, and thus resolve the individual-group conflict within the idea of democracy today. 16. From what has been said, then, the subject-matter of Democracy of History is evidently to consider groups, and, particularly, historical groups; that it is not by nature a national or regional science, but a historical science that studies the participation of groups in the evolution of thought ; and that its aim, to which this whole inquiry is directed, is to know how historical groups are entitled to national or regional participation, thereby answering satisfactorily to the common good. 17. I still have to show how Democracy of History uses that with which it is concerned to reach its aim, namely, how it defines its issues, and uses its principles, and subject-matter, so that it may reach its ultimate goal. PART I: THE ISSUES RAISED BY DEMOCRACY OF HISTORY 18. To appreciate a thing is to appreciate it within its environment. Since Democracy of History is part of democracy, we must, then, appreciate the issues raised by Democracy of History within the issues raised by democracy in general. A. THE ISSUES UNDER DEMOCRACY OF HISTORY TAKEN INTER SE 1. GENERAL ISSUES 19. That democracy of today encounters problems is evident from its source, aim, and means. If the people are the ultimate source of a democratic government, then Democracy of History wants to know DR ANWAR FRANGI - DEMOCRACY OF HISTORY 10
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