Throughout Politics, Aristotle goes into detail about monarchies, aristocracies, and polities, as the ideal forms of government. Polity as defined by Aristotle is the virtuous form of a constitutional democracy (Aristotle viewed democracy without constitutional law as a poor form of government). It is essential to a state in which polity is the system of rule that there is a constitution in place to prevent the excesses of majority rule. Although Aristotle perhaps believed polity to be the most realistic form of a virtuous government, he did not view is as the most ideal. According to Aristotle, monarchy is the idealist form of government, followed by aristocracy and polity. Despite this, Aristotle yields that monarchies and aristocracies are also more likely to degrade into undesirable states, such as tyrannies or oligarchies (Baldwin 2012). Therefore, it is fair to say that Aristotle’s ideal form of government is monarchy, despite its flaws, yet the most realistic form of a virtuous government can be found in a state governed by a constitutional democracy (Wilson 2011).
Aristotle’s view of the ideal form of government, an absolute monarchy headed by a man of excellent character and wisdom, is theoretically sound. Unfortunately, men of such character are a rarity; even rarer so, is it that such a person will actually become the king of a state. In addition, the threat of turning into a tyranny makes monarchy all the more risky (Samaras 2007). An aristocracy, if perpetually ruled by men of excellent virtue, would also be a form of government perhaps favorable to polity. However, all too often aristocracies favor law that benefits the rich and runs the risk of devolving into an oligarchy. Polity, or a constitutional democracy, is a system of government where the middle-class is the primary group of rulers. At its worst, polity can devolve into democracy without law, or mob rule, which is still preferential to tyranny and oligarchy. At its best, polity is rule by the middle-class which does not require men of outstanding virtue (unlike a lawful monarchy or aristocracy), for the better of the state as a whole. Therefore, in practice the ideal form of government is neither a monarchy nor aristocracy. Instead, a constitutional democracy, such as one the United States of America boasts, similar in fashion to Aristotle’s polity, is the best form of governme...
... middle of paper ...
...r, it is the best form of government for both short-term and long-term stability.
Works Cited
Aristotle. Politics. Sioux Falls: NuVision Publications, 2004. Google Books. Google. Web. 19 Oct. 2012. .
Baldwin, Richard. "Aristotle, Ethics." Aristotle, Ethics. Gulf Coast State College, 17 Mar. 2012. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. .
Biondi, Carrie-Ann. "Aristotle on the Mixed Constitution and Its Relevance For American Political Thought." Stjohns.edu. Social Philosophy & Policy Foundation, 2007. Web. 17 Oct. 2012. stjohns.edu
Kalyvas, Andreas. "The Tyranny of Dictatorship: When the Greek Tyrant Met the Roman Dictator." Political Theory 35.4 (2007): 412-42. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. .
Samaras, Thanassis. "Aristotle's Politics: The City of Book Seven and the Question of Ideology." Classical Quarterly 57.1 (2007): 77-89. Web. 18 Oct. 2012. stjohns.edu
Wilson, James Lindley. "Deliberation, Democracy, and the Rule of Reason in Aristotle's Politics." American Political Science Review 105.2 (2011): 259-72. Web. 20 Oct. 2012. stjohns.edu
Baird, Forrest E., and Walter Kaufman. "Aristotle." Ancient Philosophy. 3rd ed. Philosophic Classics, vols. 1. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2000. 304 - 444.
Korsgaadar, C.M., (1986). Aristotle on Function and Virtue. History of Philosophy Quarterly, 3 (3), p. 259-279.
A longstanding debate in human history is what to do with power and what is the best way to rule. Who should have power, how should one rule, and what its purpose should government serve have always been questions at the fore in civilization, and more than once have sparked controversy and conflict. The essential elements of rule have placed the human need for order and structure against the human desire for freedom, and compromising between the two has never been easy. It is a question that is still considered and argued to this day. However, the argument has not rested solely with military powers or politicians, but philosophers as well. Two prominent voices in this debate are Plato and Machiavelli, both of whom had very different ideas of government's role in the lives of its people. For Plato, the essential service of government is to allow its citizens to live in their proper places and to do the things that they are best at. In short, Plato's government reinforces the need for order while giving the illusion of freedom. On the other hand, Machiavelli proposes that government's primary concern is to remain intact, thereby preserving stability for the people who live under it. The feature that both philosophers share is that they attempt to compromise between stability and freedom, and in the process admit that neither can be totally had.
Plato. “Republic VII.” Trans. G.M.A. Grube. Readings in Ancient Greek Philosophy From Thales to Aristotle. Comp. and ed. S. Marc cohen, Patricia Curd, and C.D. C. Reeve. Indianapolis: Hackett, 1995. 370-374
Jowett, B. (2009) ‘Politics by Aristotle, 350 B.C.E’, Classics, 2009 [On-line], http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/politics.2.two.html (Accessed 9 December 2013).
Aristotle. "Nicomachean Ethics." Classics of Moral and Political Theory. 3rd ed. Trans. Terence Irwin. Ed. Michael L. Morgan. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 2001.
Aristotle, W. D. Ross, and Lesley Brown. The Nicomachean Ethics. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2009. Print.
Gakuran, Michael. "Aristotle’s Moral Philosophy | Gakuranman • Adventure First." Gakuranman Adventure First RSS. N.p., 21 May 2008. Web.
Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics. Rpt. in Ethical Theories: A Book of Readings second edition. Ed. A. I. Melden. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1967. 106-109.
Moore, J.M. Aristotle and Xenophon on Democracy and Oligarchy. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1983.
In the Politics Aristotle brings up 3 types of governments, kingship, aristocracy, and polity. Aristotle says that the good forms of these governments are those that aim towards the common good. Aristotle describes the common good as the most authoritative or highest goods. For a city or state this would be the virtue and happiness of its citizens. The common good is brought up time and time again in the Politi...
In summation this paper discussed the three correct types of regimes according to Aristotle; furthermore it examined the deviations of these regimes. This was done by firstly examining a regime led by royalty, secondly by observing the characteristics of an aristocratic regime and thirdly by discussing a regime ran by constitutional government. Finally defining the three correct types of regimes the deviations of these regimes: tyrannical, oligarchic and democratic were examined.
...kingship, aristocracy and polity are all good forms of ruling because each serves the interest of the people or community. Overall, Aristotle believes that we must not question how many rule, but instead ask how they are capable of ruling or do they rule in a manner that best serves the community. Aristotle’s Politics gives a simpler critique of democracy than Plato’s Republic, however it is convincing in the sense that in order to rule for the good of the community or the good life (Bios) one should only question that capability of those ruling rather than ask the quantity.
Aristotle. The Nicomachean Ethics. David Ross, trans. J. L. Ackrill and J. O. Urmson, revisions. Oxford World’s Classics paperback, 1998.
Kraut, Richard. Aristotle`s Ethics. Stanford Online Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Tue. July 17 2007. Retrieved Nov 22 2009