Aristotle s Views On Political Rule - 1441 Words

Aristotle’s believed in government that worked through realistic means for the common goods of its citizens and, thus, came up with three forms of government amounting to monarchy, aristocracy, and polity. He believed each of these can become perverted, or transformed into tyranny, oligarchy, or a lower form of government like mob rule, if the power is selfishly abused. The main distinction between the three forms is characterized by the size of the governing power: monarchy being held by one, aristocracy being held by few, and polity being held by many. Lastly, Aristotle believed the purpose of political rule is to work for the common good, not for personal gain, like a master. In Aristotle’s Politics, he elaborates on how persons†¦show more content†¦regardless of whether there are laws or not and he acts as law himself[,]†¦ whether he and they are good or not [and] whether he is better in respect or virtue (Book 3, Chapter 17). Monarchies work best when ruler’s craft decisions for the greater good of all citizens. Oligarchy, being ruled by little in a generic way, and aristocracy, a small governing power to a select few from a special class of citizens based on birth and privilege, both ventures on the few leading the many. Aristotle believes that aristocracy is superior over the oligarchy because of the way it values other peoples’ interest and is centered around those who are best with virtue. Polity is the correct, but the most unrealistic form of governing with many rulers, while democracy, as defined by Aristotle, is the deviant way to rule with many rulers. The group of rulers is characterized as a â€Å"mixed† group constructed by rule from the â€Å"middle† group of citizens, and moderately wealthy class standing between the rich and poor (Book 4, Chapter 11). He says this is the best group for leading the city-state because they find it â€Å"easiest to obey the rule of reason† and are l ess likely to act unjust to their citizens (Book 4, Chapter 11). Although the middle construction has been more just and stable than oligarchy and democracy, polity can deteriorate and develop into mob rule; where citizens pursue their own self-interest. Self-sufficiency is a major contributor to the developmentShow MoreRelatedPlato s Interpretation Of Utopia1630 Words   |  7 PagesPlato and Aristotle shared many differences despite also sharing a teacher student relationship. This essay will strive to establish their understandings of reason and the role reason plays in their comprehensions of politics, differentiating between the kinds of reason and politics produced as a result. Plato is regarded as the first writer of political philosophy while Aristotle is recognised as the first political scientist. Plato’s interpretation of Utopia is founded upon the existence of threeRead MoreEssay on Machiavellis The Prince: Politics, War, and Human Nature1334 Words   |  6 Pagesgood for his political morality. Instead, he turns to the individual?more specifically, self-preservation in a position of power. Machiavellis vision rules out the possibility of a higher political authority if higher is meant to say that the morality comes from the divine, but his vision certainly does not rule out any sort of higher political morality. To guide the actions of men in general, Machiavelli turns to the actions of the strong prince. Machiavelli?s higher political morality isRead MoreComparing Aristotle And Niccolo Machiavelli Essay1698 Words   |  7 PagesThe term political scientist has been used to describe both Aristotle and Niccolo Machiavelli, but does that term do the work of either man justice? From the outset it is very easy to see the philosophical differences between the two men and their visions of the political system(s). It is fairly obvious that both men were products of their times, Aristotle coming from the end of the Golden Age of Greece and Machiavelli coming from end of Medieval Europe, but in both cases their ideas and advice haveRead MoreComparing Aristotle and Plato Essays1325 Words   |  6 PagesComparing Aristotle and Plato Aristotle argues that in order for a polis to emerge, a union between man and women must convene. Later a household must be introduced which unites with other households to form a village, villages come together to form city-states. This theory is Aristotle’s natural view that an individual can not be self sufficient Plato argues that, in order to achieve absolute justice, a city-state is needed. In The Republic, Plato builds around the idea of Philosopher RulersRead MoreThe Concept of Democracy664 Words   |  3 Pagesthat some of greatest minds in human history dating back to the time of Aristotle and Plato and continuing through to modern times have viewed democracy differently and have actually been quite critical of it as political concept. Democracy as a political idea began with the ancient Greeks. When it was developed by the Greeks the philosophers and rulers of the time were not friendly to the idea of many can and should rule themselves. The prevailing thought was that governing was a difficult taskRead MoreThe Ideal Society As Suggested By Plato993 Words   |  4 Pagesappropriate function and only that function. It is the rulers’ job to rule, the auxiliaries uphold the convictions of the rulers, and the producers are to limit themselves to exercising their natural skills. Plato argues that state justice requires each individual it conform to the societal role they have been given and not to interfere with any other business. In Book IV, Plato theorises individual justice to be a mirror reflection of political justice. Much like Plato’s three class structure of a just societyRead MorePolitical Philosophy, By Steven Cahn1197 Words   |  5 PagesIn Steven Cahn s book, Political Philosophy, The Essential Texts, philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau created the circumstances to enable the fundamental principals of philosophy and politics. These knowledgeable, astute and significant men have helped to achieve the structure of our past and present democracy as well as a plan of action for the rights and values that we as citizens can all relate to today. They are grounded in their thinking and tied togetherRead MoreComparing Aristotle s 8 1455 Words   |  6 PagesNow the question is what values should one have to rule, what makes them qualified compared to others. Plato outlines the different aspects of government and why he believes an aristocracy would be bet ter form of government. In book 8 Socrates starts to wrap up his depiction of a just city. He starts to break down the four unjust constitutions of the city and man. Timocracy, which is represented by the honor-driven man who resembles and rules that sort of government. There is an oligarchy, ruledRead MorePlato, Nietzsche, And Aristotles Theory Of Political Philosophy1670 Words   |  7 Pages Political theory is the study of concepts that allows for the analytical study of relationships between political institutions. Over the centuries, political theorists have established renditions of what political theory is. This essay will focus on Plato, Nietzsche, and Aristotle, and their works, which respectively define the concepts of the common good and the significance of philosophers to the welfare of the state, self-deceiving intellect and the power of authority over our intellectualRead MoreHow Does Machiavelli Bring Us From A Medieval View Of Politics Of Power And Interests?1402 Words   |  6 PagesThe platform for political science brought to us by Aristotle, had structuralized the forms and functions of government with little attention to conflict. Whereas, in Machiavelli’s work, we explore new notions of statecraft concerning power, fear and interests. Machiavelli’s work is pulled together from thousands of years’ worth of written history and stu dies of conflict compared to Aristotle’s work, circa 350 B.C. concerned with proportion and constitutions which consists mostly of observations