Politics

Although Aristotle views aristocracy as the best form of government, he promotes the idea that different cities require different forms of government based upon their population and culture. Democracies can take many shapes, each determined by the character and desired outcomes of a particular city. Democracies are centered upon a foundation of freedom, or liberty, equally dividing power among the majority class and within offices. Freedom can also be defined as the ability to do what one wants and to share power. Aristotle defines the majority as those who hold the most property and who have the highest population. Pure democracies present an “election of officers by all, and from all; the system of all ruling over each, and each, in his turn, over all” (232), meaning that the power is centralized to the many rather than the few.

Pure democracies are rare; it is more likely for a constitution to combine elements of multiple government types. A common method for dividing ruling bodies within a democracy is electing the deliberative body within an oligarchical framework and the judicial within an aristocratic framework. However, many combinations and arrangements can be applied with a democracy. Aristotle suggests that equality in democracies and oligarchies is always unjust because equality is an illusion which cannot support the reality of a community. Stable democracies are operated by working-class people who elect officials to represent them.

One of the greatest challenges to any form of democracy is ensuring its permanence. Aristotle argues that legislators hold a principal obligation to root out factional conflict and maintain the organization of the constitution. Democracies also benefit from securing a minimum income for all citizens to avoid extreme poverty which may lead to instability and rebellion. In both democracies and oligarchies, Aristotle suggests that the best forms are ones which operate closest to the mean, employing a system of balances and moderation to keep citizens in check. Oligarchies that function well give lower classes a small amount of power while maintaining their own light-armed militaries to guarantee the ability to quell uprisings.

The philosopher then determines the necessary offices for any form of government. The first is the office which oversees the buying and selling of goods. The second oversees private and public property within the city, and the third operates similarly outside the city. The fourth receives and distributes public revenue. The fifth manages the courts and private contracts, while the sixth delivers executions of sentences. Aristotle categorizes these as the main political offices, although he recognizes other offices may be necessary depending on the needs of the city, including an office for finances and an office for the detainment of criminals.

Aristotle’s dedication to outlining the various forms of government and determining how they might best operate may seem strange when considering that he has already professed that aristocracies are the best form of government. Aristotle sees a well-organized political body as the key to a virtuous and happy life. His treatment of each type of government and how it might best function represents a commitment to advancing human virtue and reason. Aristotle proposes in Nicomachean Ethics that study, or contemplation, is the most important virtue. The philosopher embodies and models this virtue throughout Politics, but he also advocates for it by highlighting the importance of virtue and ethics in the political realm. This contributes to the themes The Political Nature of Man and Politics as a Pathway for Good and Happiness.

Prior to Book 6, Aristotle dismisses democracies and oligarchies as ineffective forms of government. He promotes agricultural democracies over all others because, he argues, farmers have limited time for political dealings. In agricultural democracies, farmers relinquish power to elected officials to represent them. This idea contributes to the theme Political Hierarchies as Natural Forms of Subjugation.

Aristotle’s disdain for democracy takes many forms. One argument is its association with poverty, which he believes corrupts the entire system. He reiterates his point that the lower classes are not equipped to contribute to the common good. The philosopher believes that a pure democracy which places power in the hands of all rather than the few is unsustainable and “can hardly itself endure” (238). Democracy must have limits. Instead, democracies must be dependent upon oligarchical functions through electing officials to represent the common man. Since Aristotle asserts aristocracy as the best form of government, his ideal form of any other constitution is that which most closely represents the aristocracy. He rejects the idea that laborers or farmers have the insight or ability to manage complex political issues. For the philosopher, virtue only belongs to those who have the wealth and means to advance a political agenda.