Aristotle argued that there were six general ways in which societies could be organized under political rule, depending on who ruled, and for whom they ruled. The true forms of government, therefore, are those in which the one, or the few, or the many, govern with a view to the common interest; but governments which rule with a view to the private interest, whether to the one, or the few, or of the many, are perversions.
Tyranny is a kind of monarchy which has in view the interest of the monarch only; oligarchy has in view the interest of the wealthy; democracy, of the needy: none of them the common good of all. Thus, in democracies, the many could directly rule via participation in open councils.
Although our democracies are much larger now, the core concepts remain the same: Our vote is our means of exercising our rule, and any one of us may chose to run for an office of the state. Aristotle argued that oligarchies and democracies are the most common forms of government, with much in common except their allocation of power; and thus he spends a lot of time discussing them. For the real difference between democracy and oligarchy is poverty and wealth. Wherever men rule by reason of their wealth, whether they be few or many, that is an oligarchy, and where the poor rule, that is a democracy.
It is important to note that Aristotle did not consider oligarchies and democracies as inherently bad. Even though they govern in the interest of those who hold the power, they are capable of producing livable societies, unlike tyranny, which no free man in his right mind would choose.
But he also aims to demonstrate that there are better ways to govern. Aristotle considered democracy a despotic form of government because he felt that it caused competition between the classes, and it was vulnerable to leaders ruling by emotion rather than strict adherence to the law.
However, Scholastic argues that democracies in Aristotle's time were different than today. Aristotle's "true" form of government in this category, called a polity, which is close to many modern-day democratic governments, relies on a strong middle class to hold leaders accountable to make objective decisions based on statute and not personal ideals or emotion.
Maria Magher has been working as a professional writer since She has worked as an ESL teacher, a freshman composition teacher and an education reporter, writing for regional newspapers and online publications.
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Active Oldest Votes. They are educated in sports, combat, and philosophy and tested by both terrifying and tempting situations. From the best of warrior class, the ruling class is drawn. Its members will study philosophy and be given government and military positions until age 50, when the best of them become philosopher kings. The lower class is linked to appetite, and it owns all the land and controls all the wealth. The warrior class is spirited and lives by a code of honor.
The ruling class is linked to reason and lives to gain wisdom. The philosopher kings will prefer seeking truth to ruling, but a law will compel them to rule. They will obey the law and take their turns as rulers. The warrior and ruling classes live in barracks, eat together, and share possessions. None has families. All children of these classes are brought up without knowing their parents. In this way, Plato tries to keep these classes from gaining wealth or producing family dynasties.
Until philosophers are kings, or the kings and princes of this world have the spirit and power of philosophy, and political greatness and wisdom meet in one,. Born in the north of Greece, Aristotle came from a family linked to the kingdom of Macedon. His father worked for the king as a court doctor. When Alexander became king of Macedon in B. He studied, catalogued, lectured, debated, and wrote about every area of human knowledge.
Plato was an idealist, who believed that everything had an ideal form. Aristotle believed in looking at the real world and studying it. Aristotle spent many years teaching in Athens, which was under the control of Macedon. When Alexander the Great died, however, anti-Macedonians took control of Athens.
Linked to Macedon, Aristotle was accused of not accepting the gods of Athens, one of the same charges leveled against Socrates.
Unlike Socrates, however, Aristotle did not stand trial. Aristotle died the following year in exile. Like Plato, Aristotle, wrote extensively on the subjects of tyranny and the rule of law. He hoped that his Politics , a collection of essays on government, would provide direction for rulers, statesmen, and politicians. He said that it fails to address conflicts that will arise among its citizens. But if so, the suits and quarrels and all the evils which Socrates affirms to exist in other states, will exist equally among them.
He says indeed that, having so good an education, the citizens will not need many laws,. Unlike The Republic , The Politics does not depict an ideal system of government. Instead, Aristotle explored practical constitutions that city-states can realistically put into effect.
The law ought to be supreme over all. He feared that both pitted the rich against the poor. But he recognized that these types of governments took many forms. The worst were those without the rule of law. In democracies without law, demagogues leaders appealing to emotions took over.
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