Origins of Self-governance
Long ago, in a region of the Aegean Sea called Ionia, a band of exiles developed a form of governance known as “isonomia.” It means “law for all” in practice and participation by all regardless of status. Each clan in Ancient Greece had its own household gods. When the clans outgrew their tribal origins and merged into a polis, they realized one clan’s household gods could not command obedience from another clan. Some overarching philosophy of allegiance had to be developed to tie them all together. Without dethroning each clan’s household gods, the multi-clan governance system had to give everyone a voice regardless of their position in the clan hierarchy.
The political philosopher Kojin Karatani suggests that governance on Ionia blended practices of both clan and polis, the main feature of which was continuous participation by everyone. In the natural philosophy of the day, constant motion of things, stars, and ideas, as well as people was considered natural. The Ionians were exiles, after all, so a dynamic (though not relativistic) philosophy suited them. Ionian virtues, including isonomia, made their way to the Greek mainland, where they influenced Athenian democracy, Roman Imperial integration of conquered territories, and subsequent governance philosophy and practice down through to the contemporary era.