BOOK 4 Chapter 11 The Importance of the Middling Sort

Chapter 11

I. Introduction: The Best Regime and Way of Life for Most Cities

1. Question of the best regime and lifestyle:
   • Aristotle seeks to determine what regime and way of life are best suited for most cities and people.
   • Criteria: This inquiry does not focus on regimes that are idealized or beyond the reach of ordinary people, nor on those requiring special natural advantages or fortunes of chance.
   • Objective: Aristotle aims to identify a regime that most cities can reasonably achieve and that provides a way of life accessible to the majority of citizens.
2. Aristocracy and regime:
   • The aristocracies discussed earlier often fall outside the reach of most cities or closely resemble the so-called regime (politeia), which Aristotle identifies as a mixed regime.
   • These aristocracies are either too idealized or impractical for most cities, so Aristotle treats them as closely related to the regime discussed in this chapter.

II. The Happy Life and the Middle Way

1. Happiness through virtue:
   • Referencing his Ethics, Aristotle argues that the happy life is one lived in accordance with virtue and is unimpeded by external forces.
   • Virtue is described as a mean, and just as the happy life depends on moderation, so too does the best regime and way of life.
2. Application to cities and regimes:
   • The same principles that define virtue and vice in individuals should apply to the regime of a city. Just as individuals achieve happiness through a balanced, moderate life, cities thrive when their regimes follow the middle path.
   • Regime as a way of life: A city’s regime reflects its collective way of life, and the best regime is one that embodies moderation and balance.

III. The Three Parts of the City

1. The three social classes:
   • Every city has three main social classes:
     1. The very wealthy.
     2. The very poor.
     3. The middling class (those between the extremes of wealth and poverty).
2. Superiority of the middle class:
   • Aristotle contends that the middling class is the best for governing a city. This class represents moderation in both material wealth and personal ambition.
   • The middling possession of goods is ideal because it is the most conducive to reason, while extremes of wealth and poverty lead to arrogance and malice, respectively.

IV. Problems of the Extremes: Wealth and Poverty

1. The danger of extremes:
   • Those who are overly wealthy or overly poor tend to act irrationally:
     • The wealthy are prone to arrogance and grand-scale injustice.
     • The poor are inclined to petty malice and small-scale injustice.
2. The inability to rule or be ruled:
   • Wealthy individuals are often unwilling or unable to be ruled, as they are accustomed to luxury and independence from an early age.
   • Poor individuals, on the other hand, are often too humble and only know how to be ruled as slaves, not as free citizens.
   • The result is a city divided between masters and slaves, which undermines the sense of community and affection necessary for a healthy political society.

V. The Superiority of the Middling Class in Governance

1. The middle class as best rulers:
   • The middle class is the most likely to follow reason and to govern fairly, since they are neither driven by arrogance nor malice.
   • They are less prone to desire the possessions of others and are less likely to be the targets of others' desires, which makes them more content and peaceful.
2. Avoidance of factionalism:
   • The middle class is crucial for maintaining stability in the city because they do not engage in factional conflict. The extremes of wealth and poverty, by contrast, are more likely to cause divisions and strife.
   • Phocylides' prayer: Aristotle refers to the prayer of the poet Phocylides, who wished to be of the middling sort, reflecting the ancient belief in the value of moderation in all things.

VI. Why the Middling Regime is Best

1. Best cities are governed by the middle class:
   • A political community that relies on the middle class is the most stable and well-governed.
   • If the middle class is numerous, it can tip the balance and prevent extremes from dominating, ensuring a more balanced and fair regime.
2. Consequences of imbalance:
   • When a city is divided into extremes of wealth and poverty, it leads to either extreme democracy (rule of the poor) or unmixed oligarchy (rule of the rich).
   • Tyranny often arises from the excesses of both democracy and oligarchy, but is less likely to emerge from a balanced, middling regime.

VII. The Role of the Middle Class in Preventing Factional Conflict

1. Why the middle class prevents faction:
   • The middling element is key to preventing factionalism because it serves as a buffer between the rich and poor. Where the middle class is large and influential, cities are less likely to experience civil strife and revolutions.
2. Smaller cities and greater faction:
   • In small cities, it is easier for society to split into two factions (rich and poor), whereas larger cities with a strong middle class are more resistant to division and more stable.
3. Democracies vs. oligarchies:
   • Democracies tend to be more stable and durable than oligarchies because the middle class plays a larger role in governance.
   • In oligarchies, the absence of a strong middle class leads to greater instability and conflict, particularly when the poor outnumber the wealthy.

VIII. Legislators from the Middle Class

1. The best legislators are from the middle class:
   • Historical examples of successful lawmakers, such as Solon, Lycurgus, and Charondas, came from the middling class.
   • This middle-class background allowed them to create balanced, fair laws that benefited the entire city, not just one social group.

IX. Why Most Regimes are Democratic or Oligarchic

1. Lack of a strong middle class:
   • Most cities have either a dominant wealthy elite or a large poor population, resulting in either oligarchy or democracy. The middling regime is rare because the middle class is often small and unable to assert itself.
2. Factions lead to extreme regimes:
   • Factional conflicts between the rich and poor result in one group dominating the other, leading to regimes that prioritize the interests of the victors rather than the common good.

X. Conclusion: The Best Regime is the Middling Regime

1. The middling regime is the best:
   • Aristotle concludes that the middling regime, where the middle class is strong and influential, is the best form of governance.
   • Once the best regime is identified, it becomes easier to rank other regimes—whether democracies, oligarchies, or other forms—based on how closely they resemble this ideal.
2. Exceptions to the rule:
   • While the middling regime is the most choiceworthy, in certain cities, other regimes may be more pragmatically advantageous depending on the circumstances.

Summary of Key Themes:

• Middling regime: The best regime is one where the middle class is dominant, as it ensures moderation, stability, and the absence of factional conflict.
• Avoidance of extremes: Both extreme wealth and extreme poverty lead to irrational governance, with the wealthy becoming arrogant and the poor malicious.
• Importance of the middle class: The middle class serves as a buffer between rich and poor, preventing factionalism and ensuring that the city’s interests are balanced.
• Historical examples of middle-class legislators: Some of the most successful lawmakers in history came from the middle class, supporting Aristotle’s argument that moderation is key to good governance.
• Democracies vs. oligarchies: Democracies are more stable than oligarchies when the middle class is strong, but cities lacking a large middle class are prone to factionalism and instability.

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