Aristotle’s View of Democracy & Government

3 Quotes From Aristotle on Democracy & Government & His 2 Core Views

Aristotle’s Beliefs

Rule of law or aristocracy is better than democracy, which is rule by the needy. Aristotle argues that democracies are ruled by those in the government rather than being ruled by the interests of the country.

Aristotle’s best fit to rule

A government should be by those who have time to pursue virtue. But, the United States is moving towards campaign financing laws which will allow politicians to be effective with little well-endowed fathers. This is also becoming different from a modern career politician who derives his wealth at the expense of citizens.

This person is an average citizen in that they share in the administration of justice. They may or not take part in the governing administration for a state. Generally, a state is composed of citizens who are able to provide for themselves so they are able to live.

Plato references three forms of government: tyranny, oligarchy, and democracy. Tyranny is a form of rule where monarchy has power over the society. In oligarchy, wealthy men exercise power. Democracy is the opposite, where it’s the indigent who are in control instead of the wealthy. Political leaders need leisure to develop their virtue, and those who must engage in manual labor are not fit for leadership.

3 Aristotle Quotes on Democracy & Government

“But the citizen whom we are seeking to define is a citizen in the strictest sense, against whom no such exception can be taken, and his special characteristic is that he shares in the administration of justice, and in offices. He who has the power to take part in the deliberative or judicial administration of any state is said by us to be a citizens of that state; and, speaking generally, a state is a body of citizens sufficing for the purposes of life.

“For 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. Tyranny, as I was saying, is monarchy exercising the rule of a master over the political society; oligarchy is when men of property have the government in their hands; democracy, the opposite, when the indigent, and not the men of property, are the rulers.”

“The citizens must not lead the life of mechanics or tradesmen, for such a life is ignoble, and inimical to virtue. Neither must they be farmers, since leisure is necessary both for the development of virtue and the performance of political duties.”

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