ARISTOTLE ON DEMOCRACY

Athenian Democracy
Aristotle lived in the democratic Greek city-state of Athens with Plato, his teacher. All male
citizens in Athens participated politics well about in making laws and decision of the state.
Athens regained its democracy, but after Plato's death, the city-state fell under the control of
Macedon. He learnt the political situation and environment in Athens for the first especially
about democracy. As we know Aristotle born in Greece spent many years teaching in Athens.
He understood well the situation in Athens when the government changed after the death of
Alexander the Great, anti-macedon take over Athens.
Democracy Definition

Generally, democracy is about freedom. For Aristotle, democracy is done on the basis of
numerical equality which means everyone has a share in the ruling of the city-state. He
always promotes equality and points out that if everyone is equal in ruling, either none should
rule another or where there must be common rule, no one has more rights than another. He
also stated that every democracy makes its aim, everyone can enjoy the freedom. There two
main characters of freedom:
a) Being ruled and ruling in turn since everyone is equal in number.
b) To be able to lives as one pleases.
Aristotle defines democracy with Monarchy, Aristocracy and Democracy. Aristotle did
not choose one form as being superior to the others, and instead offered that a superior
form would be one which incorporated all three.
Monarchy, Aristocracy and Democracy

Aristotle produced a complex taxonomy of constitutions, the three main types of which
are monarchy, Aristocracy and Democracy. Generations of people around the world have
endured autocracy and dictatorship, totalitarianism, fascism, monarchy, oligarchy and
even anarchy without knowing freedom. He believe that monarchy is a true forms of
government, but he warned already it could become tyranny, which he considered a
despotic form of government. It works when a ruler make decision based on what is the
best for citizens, such as increasing wealth for all citizens. Since the political system
validates the commercial order, the oligarchy is vulnerable to a reassertion of control by
the owners of public institutions. According to Aristotle, when a few elite ruled the
government by making decisions in the best interests of all citizens, it is an aristocracy.
Aristotle believed that middle class will prevent an aristocracy from becoming an
oligarchy by balancing the interests of the sovereign at that time. For democracy, he
considered it is a despotic form of government it will bring competition between the
classes. Freedom is defining principles of democracy.

Democracies define freedom badly.

When you were voicing the will of the majority and in a democracy that makes you right.
Everyone lives as he wants and toward whatever end he happens to crave. As is also true of
oligarchy and monarchy which rule in democracy is for and by the people named in the
government interest. In contrast, aristocracy or monarchy are good when the ruler has the
interest of his country at heart, are better types of government. Instead of having everyone
live as he wants and towards whatever end he wants, a virtuous government will have the

government rules for the common good. At last, Aristotle believes democracy rests on the
government of each by all and all for each in turn.

ARISTOTLE ON ARMY AND DEFENCE

Justice Nature And Rights

Justice, Nature and Rights are three main elements in Aristotles Political Theory. Aristotle
holds that all constitutions are form of justice. He also claims that political justice is a part of
natural legal by quoting one constitution only is everywhere according to nature the best,
thus implying in a natural condition when it has the best constitution and laws. Aristotle
recognizes that justice may exist outside the polis, but he did regards political justice as the
highest form of justice. Man is a product of nature, the argument runs, but societies are
contrived by men. His politics was characterized as naturalistic, in the sense that it assigns a
fundamental role to the concept of nature in the explanation and evaluation of the political
societies. Aristotle's naturalism is simplified up in three claims: the polis (citystate) exists by
nature, human beings are by nature political animals, and the polis is by nature prior to the
individual. A right for Aristotle is just claim that a person has against other members of the
same community, and a natural right is a just claim based in nature. He dislikes wrong action
very much. One has recognized the relevant moral features of one's situation, one must
decide what the right thing to do is, it is right. The freedom is only guaranteed if there are
rights to protect this freedom based on his logic.

Good And Bad

Aristotles regimes divided into six types, there are three good and three bad.

For good regime, there are monarchy, aristocracy and polity. Monarchy is a form of
government with a monarch at the head when ruled by one. Aristocracy is the highest class in
certain societies, especially those holding hereditary titles or offices. It is good when ruled by
the best among few. Aristotle pointed out in his book of lectures The Politics and in his
studies of constitutions that aristocracy as an ideal too often degenerated into either oligarchy,
the rule of the powerful, or plutocracy, the rule of the rich. Polity is mixed regime, having
characteristics of all when rule by many.

For bad regime, there are tyranny, oligarchy and democracy. Tyranny is cruel and oppressive
rule which rule by one ruler. According to Aristotle, tyranny is the arbitrary power of an
individual who govern for his or her interest and advantages. Oligarchy is ruled by few which
refer to wealthy people at that time. Democracy is a system of government by the whole
population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.
For this context, it is bad because it can be ruled by many including poor people.

Aristotle On Human Right

Concern with Human Right

Aristotle agreed that human rights exists between men and the created state because the
determination of what is just or right is the principle order in a political society. It is a
right that is believed to belong justifiably to every person. A family created a state. The
family will developed into a village which combines with many villages to create a social
community, which when large enough will turns into a state. After that, there will be a ruler
take in charge of them. He also insists that rights naturally are established with a government
and state because all citizens should be free within a state.

The Human Good

Rationally, Aristotle thinks everyone will agree that happiness living well designate such an
end. In his ethical writings, Aristotle endorses egoism, rationality, and the value of life. He
purpose that the key idea in ethics is a human individual's own personal happiness and wellbeing. According to Aristotle, each person has a natural obligation to achieve, become, and
make something for himself by pursuing his true ends and goals in life. He also assumes that
in order to be happy one must possess others goods as well such goods as friends, wealth, and
power. Human also concerned with virtue ethics which Aristotle generally saw the positives
in society, and therefore prescribed freedom and equality. He does believe that he must
practice virtue that he needs to habituate himself to virtue in order to truly be virtuous.
References

Price, A. W. Virtue and Reason in Plato and Aristotle. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 2011.

Aristotle, Edward J. Urwick, M.A. (2013).The Message Of Plato. London, METHUEN &
CO. LTD. 36 ESSEX STREET W.C.

Price, A. W. Virtue and Reason in Plato and Aristotle. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 2011.

http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/nicomachaen.html
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aristotle-ethics/