Monday, 21 August 2017

Aristotle Politics

MONARCHY page 21
- Aristotle cites that there are these men with “pre-eminent virtue”, wiser or better than
the common man
- These men are above the law, for legislation is reserved for those equal in birth and
capacity

- Democratic states resort to ostracizing these men for equality is, above all, their
number one concern
- For a time, democratic states banished those they deemed had too much wealth, too
many friends, or too powerful politically
- Aristotle cites the story in mythology of how Heracles was not taken into the ship of
the Argonauts because the Argonauts thought Heracles would be too much for the rest
of the crew
- Acts like this cannot be deemed just
- Aristotle cites the example of Athens and the Persian king
- A Monarch can act in compulsion and still lead a state into harmony if the state is
governed with the best interests of the state in mind

- Ostracism may be a viable remedy for political injustice when the need arises, but
according to Aristotle, it has been applied unjustly, for governments have used it for
factious purposes
- To quote Aristotle “In the perfect state there would be great doubts about the use of it,
not when applied to excess in strength, wealth, popularity, or the like, but when used
against some one who is pre-eminent in virtue- what is to be done with him?”
- The state cannot allow such men to be exiled or banished, but nor can they allow such
men to be subject to rule
- Aristotle concludes that the people should follow such a leader, and all men like him
must rule in their own states

LIBERTY AND EQUALITY

- Aristotle, in this section, begins explaining what Liberty is in the context of a
democratic mindset
- Liberty, to a democrat, is power to all the people, majority trumps everything else

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- Hence, the poor is more powerful than the rich because there are simply more of them
in the state.
- Secondly, a man should be able to live as he likes, for a man who doesn’t is a slave
- This gives muster to the claim that men should be ruled by none, or at least, to rule
and to be ruled in turns

- With the mentioned principles, Aristotle lays out the characteristics of a democracy
which are:

• Appointments in office, that do not require experience or skill, should be made by lot
(lottery im guessing)

• no property requirements should be reuired for office

• tenures of office should be brief
• a man should not hold the same office twice, barring some instances for military
positions

• All citizens should sit in judgement or judges selected out of all should judge
• The state or assembly should be held responsible over the funds, not a magistrate
• all member in positions of office shall be paid
• No magistracy is perpetual (basically no dynasties)
- How does a democratic state achieve the equality it craves?
- Aristotle starts a discussion on which form of government provides a better solution
towards the road of justice

- Democrats would argue majority rule equals justice whereas oligarchs would argue
decisions in justice should be given to those with the most property
- Aristotle acknowledges that both sides have justices and injustices:
• Injustice in an oligarchy will be in the form of tyranny
• Injustice in a democracy will be in the form of the unjust taking of the wealth of the
minority
- He resolves to allowing the will of those whose qualifications, when both sides are
added up, are greater, should prevail (cite example given by Aristotle)

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THE RULE OF LAW

- Aristotle in this section diverts his attention to the controversies regarding the rule of
law and the monarchy
- There exists a limited monarchy, tho not so distinguishable for other forms of
government like a democracy or aristocracy have general holding office where one
person is made responsible over the administration of the state.

- An absolute monarchy over a land of equals is argued to be contradictory for everyone

is equal and should have their turn in office
- This is where the main argument of the rule of law comes in
- Law as they say is reason unaffected by desire
- Desire is beast that may pervert the mind of a ruler
- Aristotle cites the example of a physician who does everything by the book so
naturally, all physicians, when sick, would call for other physicians for they are bound
by the book and would not act outside of its guidelines; in justice, men seek the
neutral or mean which the law offers

- There are cases where the law cannot determine the answer; not all things can be
comprehended under the law
- This is where the main questions of whether or not we should be ruled by law or by
man
- There is no dispute that in some cases, the judgement of man should be used, tho to
give this power to one man should be avoided for more eyes and ears will always be
better
- A king in the given situation of power should have a group of friends with him to aid in
decisions for friendship implies likeness and equality. The king must believe that his
friends ought to rule themselves for a level of respect must be present.

CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT
- A polity or constitutional government, according to Aristotle, is a combination of an
oligarchy and democracy, tho there is an inclination towards democracy
- There are two parts to good governance:
• actual obedience of the citizens
• the goodness of the laws that they follow

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- Keep in mind, Aristotle saw an Aristocracy as the ideal form of government
- The principle of an aristocracy is virtue, an oligarchy wealth, and a democracy
freedom
- To Aristotle, most states only try to combine the oligarchic and democratic principles
(uniting the freedom of the poor (democracy) and the wealth of the rich (oligarchy))

- Again, this is a polity. To add the third element of virtue would then the state be
considered an aristocracy, or the “best”
- Aristotle acknowledges that a polity may not be so far off an aristocracy and then
proceeds to describe an effective way to setup a polity
- Since a polity is a combination of an oligarchy and democracy, Aristotle enumerated
three modes of fusion
- The first mode, the state must combine laws of both forms of government and finding
a common or middle term between them
- The second mode being a mean taken in the enactment of two laws (no common term
but there exists a mean)

- Third mode being borrowing from an oligarchic principle and a democratic principle to
create something new. Example, the appointment of magistrates by lot is thought to
be democratic and the election of them oligarchic. In an polity, one element of each
would be borrowed so in our example, the election of officials would be borrowed from
the oligarchy and the lack of qualifications from the democracy

- To Aristotle, a well implemented polity should showcase elements borrowed from both
forms of government, but at the same time neither because the fusion should be
seamless
- A polity should rely on itself, not on foreign aid, not rely on the majority, but instead on
the willingness for the classes to maintain the constitution

THE BEST STATE

- To Aristotle, governance is subject to a single science to determine the best type of
government for a particular state
- A legislator should know what is (1) best in abstract and (2) best for the given situation
and what is actually attainable

- (3) Legislator and administrator should know how to make a constitution fit for all
conditions and can stand the test of time

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- (4) They also ought to know which form of government is best for the state they
currently reside in, meaning this person should be informed of all types of government
- This person should also know how to remedy the defects of the old constitution
- Governments are never one-dimensional and they fit within a certain spectrum (the
two ends being an oligarchy and a democracy)

- A legislator or administrator should be familiar with the different ways these two are
combined
- This is especially important when deciding which laws best fit under different
constitutions
- Always take note that the constitution is always above the laws, never the other way
around

POLITICAL MODERATION AND STABILITY: THE MIDDLE CLASSES

- Here, Aristotle describes the ideal situation for a balanced and stable state
- From his work Ethics, Aristotle surmised that a happy life is a life lived according to
virtue without impediment. Virtue is a mean, ergo, a life in the mean, a mean
attainable by anyone, is the best kind of life.

- There are three classes in society: the rich, the poor, and the middle class
- The rich and poor both have difficulty following rational principle (those who are rich
and in power are tainted with desire and have trouble submitting to authority and those
who are poor envy the the rich, and are too degraded)

- A city composed of mostly middle-class persons is ideal for they do not covet the
goods of their neighbours like the poor nor do they plot against others like the rich
- A lack of the middle-class may lead to an imbalance of the poor and rich which may
lead to an extreme democracy or an extreme oligarchy and tyranny may grow out of
either of them

- Parties usually consist of the poor and rich which accounts for the lack of the middle
class
- And when the rich and poor do quarrel, whichever side comes out triumphant will
resort to political supremacy as a prize for their efforts instead of trying to rule justly

CAUSES OF REVOLUTION
- Two main drivers for a revolution can be either of the two:

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• the desire for equality (when men think they are equal to those who have more in
life)

• the desire for inequality or superiority (when men think they deserve more than
those around them)

• Inferiors revolt to be Equals, Equals revolt to be Superiors

- Other causes are insolence, fear, excessive predominance, contempt,
disproportionate increase in some part of the state

HOW TO PREVENT REVOLUTION

- Nothing more should be maintained by government the spirit of obedience to the law
- According to Aristotle, men should guard against the beginnings of change
- they also should not use any of the political devices to deceive the citizens
- Never wrong the ambitious in a matter of honour, the poor in a matter of money, and
the government should treat the citizens with a spirit of equality
- Honours should be given to men moderately over a long-period of time for men are
easily spoilt, not everyone can bear prosperity

- Any increase in prosperity in any part of the state should be monitored

- Magistrates should NOT be able to make money
- Nothing infuriates the people more than thinking the government is steaeling money
from them
- The general transfer of revenue should be made at a general assembly of citizens and
accounts should be duplicated and checked

- It is paramount to prevent an imbalance in equalization of properties

- Also, assign those who have less share in the government positions in office except
the primary offices of state