ABSTRACT
Democracy is a political notion, and is often used simplistically in political debate. But what are its emotional and psychological roots in the individual? And do they support the simplicity of the political ideal? The story of Electra and Orestes as told by Aeschylus is a fascinating study in sibling relations. Aeschylus used the family dynamics in the House of Agamemnon as a basis for political observations about democracy in Ancient Greece. Locating the political concept of democracy within the family is an idea that is no less resonant today with the resurgence of neo-conservative appeals to family values. From a psychoanalytic viewpoint, the notion of democracy is problematic, and we trace the development of democratic ideals as an internal psychic process that is influenced by, and in turn influences, familial, social, and political dynamics.
