Aristotle's The Politics

Aristotle argues in Book III of The Politics that there are three types of just constitutions: kingship, aristocracy, and military. Each type of constitution requires different duties from its citizens and the definition of a "good citizen" under each varies as a result. The best of each type of constitution must be administered by the best possible ruler or rulers under that constitution. Such a ruler under any constitution must possess the quality of moral wisdom of both the good man (ordinary citizen and subject) and the good citizen (office-holder and ruler).

To encourage excellence in citizenship, the constitution must allow the ruler and the ruled to play their particular part in the attainment of the purpose for which the state was formed. But further, to encourage the fulfillment of the state's goals, each citizen must be rewarded with offices, rights and honors proportionate to his contribution to the furtherance of the state's goals. Aristotle's logic is strongest when he is defining the state and its elements and when he argues on the interaction of a state and its citizens. However, his argument becomes more apparently subjective and less available to verification and practical application when he argues in favor of the inherent and superior moral wisdom of certain individuals, families or groups.

Aristotle defines a citizen generally as "one who shares for any peri

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men seek to fulfill by forming states is the common interest in a good life. Consequently, those constitutions that operate for the benefit of this common interest are the best and most just constitutions, while those that operate only in the personal interest of the rulers are unjust constitution operating as perversions. Of the three types of rule under which men operate, only one can serve as the basis for a just constitution: rule by political office. Aristotle lists the three forms of just constitutions as kingship, aristocracy, and polity (military). The perversions of the above-stated forms, tyranny, oligarchy, and democracy, respectively, adopt the master/slave relationship and operate solely in the ruler's interest (tyranny), privilege the wealthy minority over the common interest (oligarchy) or alternatively privilege the poor majority (democracy). None of these forms is focussed solely on rewarding citizens relative to their contribution to the state's purpose. In their proper forms, the three forms of just constitutions meet Aristotle's requirement that a just distribution of power under a constitution must ensure that the relative values of the offices, honors and rights allocated correspond to the relative va
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Approximate Word count = 1460
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)

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