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Quote by Aristotle

“It has been well said that 'he who has never learned to obey cannot be a good commander.' The two are not the same, but the good citizen ought to be capable of both; he should know how to govern like a freeman, and how to obey like a freeman - these are the virtues of a citizen.”

Quote by Aristotle

Book:The Essential Aristotle

Work

The Essential Aristotle

This compilation brings together essential writings of Aristotle, offering readers a concise yet profound understanding of his intellectual legacy. It includes extracts from his major treatises, providing a glimpse into his logical reasoning, empirical observations, and philosophical theories that have influenced Western thought for centuries. more

Author

Aristotle, a renowned Greek philosopher, is one of the founders of Western philosophy. His thoughts covered a wide range of fields, including ethics, logic, politics, and had a profound impact on the world. more

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“The true forms of government, therefore, are those in which the one, or the few, or the many, govern with a view to the common interest; but governments which rule with a view to the private interest, whether of the one or of the few, or of the many, are perversions. For the members of a state, if they are truly citizens, ought to participate in its advantages.”

Ifs States Government Form Interest Views Common Ought Citizens Members Advantage Forms Of Government Perversion Common Interests

Book:Aristotle: The Politics and the Constitution of Athens

Source: Aristotle: The Politics and the Constitution of Athens

“The perversions are as follows: of royalty, tyranny; of aristocracy, oligarchy; of constitutional government, democracy.”

Government Democracy Tyranny Royalty Aristocracy Perversion Oligarchy Constitutional Government

Book:Politics

Source: Politics

“There is also a doubt as to what is to be the supreme power in the state: - Is it the multitude? Or the wealthy? Or the good? Or the one best man? Or a tyrant?”

Men States Government Doubt Supreme Wealthy Tyrants Multitudes Supreme Power

Book:Politics

Source: Politics

“If the poor, for example, because they are more in number, divide among themselves the property of the rich,- is not this unjust? . . this law of confiscation clearly cannot be just.”

Ifs Government Law Poor Numbers Rich Example Property Divides Unjust

Book:The Philosophy Collection [97 Books]

Source: The Philosophy Collection [97 Books]

“But is it just then that the few and the wealthy should be the rulers? And what if they, in like manner, rob and plunder the people, - is this just?”

People Ifs Should Government What If Wealthy Rulers Plunder

Book:Politics

Source: Politics

“A right election can only be made by those who have knowledge.”

Made Government Election

Book:The Essential Aristotle

Source: The Essential Aristotle

“These, then, are the four kinds of royalty. First the monarchy of the heroic ages; this was exercised over voluntary subjects, but limited to certain functions; the king was a general and a judge, and had the control of religion The second is that of the barbarians, which is a hereditary despotic government in accordance with law. A third is the power of the so-called Aesynmete or Dictator; this is an elective tyranny. The fourth is the Lacedaemonian, which is in fact a generalship, hereditary and perpetual.”

Source: Delphi Complete Works of Aristotle (Illustrated)

“Just as a royal rule, if not a mere name, must exist by virtue of some great personal superiority in the king, so tyranny, which is the worst of governments, is necessarily the farthest removed from a well-constituted form; oligarchy is little better, for it is a long way from aristocracy, and democracy is the most tolerable of the three.”

Ifs Way Wells Littles Long Government Form Three Names Virtue Democracy Worst Kings Mere Tyranny Superiority Royal Long Way Aristocracy Tolerable Oligarchy Great Person

Book:The Essential Aristotle

Source: The Essential Aristotle

“Of governments there are said to be only two forms - democracy and oligarchy. For aristocracy is considered to be a kind of oligarchy, as being the rule of a few, and the so-called constitutional government to be really a democracy.”

Kind Said Two Government Form Democracy Aristocracy Oligarchy Constitutional Government

Book:Aristotle: The Politics and the Constitution of Athens

Source: Aristotle: The Politics and the Constitution of Athens

“Democracy is the form of government in which the free are rulers, and oligarchy in which the rich; it is only an accident that the free are the many and the rich are the few.”

Government Form Democracy Rich Accidents Rulers Forms Of Government Oligarchy

Book:The Essential Aristotle

Source: The Essential Aristotle