BOOK 5 Chapter 9 Preservation of Regimes in General

Chapter 9

I. Essential Qualities for Rulers in Authoritative Offices

Three Core Qualities for Rulers
- Affection for the Regime: Loyalty to the established regime is essential. Rulers must genuinely support the principles and structure of the existing government, as this ensures they will act in its best interest.
- Capacity for Rule: Competence and ability to manage the tasks required by their office. This includes practical skills, experience, and the capacity to make decisions effectively in the context of the regime.
- Virtue and Justice: Rulers must possess virtue and a sense of justice appropriate to the regime they are serving.
  - Aristotle stresses that justice varies depending on the type of regime (e.g., democracy, oligarchy, or aristocracy), and rulers should reflect the type of justice that aligns with their specific regime.
Balancing the Qualities in a Candidate
- Aristotle acknowledges that not all rulers will embody all three qualities perfectly. When these qualities are not all present in one person, the question arises as to how to prioritize them.
- Experience vs. Virtue: In some cases, experience and practical skill may be prioritized over virtue, depending on the role:
  - Military leadership (Generalship): Here, experience and skill are prioritized over virtue because generalship requires specialized knowledge that not everyone has. In this case, it’s acceptable to choose an experienced but less virtuous individual.
  - Treasurer or Guardian of Property: In roles involving financial management, virtue is more critical because these roles demand a high degree of trust and moral integrity, even though the technical knowledge required is more common.
- The guiding principle: Choose based on what the role demands most (either experience or moral virtue) and which quality is more commonly found among the general population.
Why Virtue is Necessary Even with Competence and Loyalty
- Even if a ruler possesses the technical capacity for governance and loyalty to the regime, they may still lack self-control, which can lead to harmful consequences.
  - Example: A ruler with competence and loyalty, but without self-control, might make decisions that are destructive to the community, just as a person lacking self-discipline can harm their own well-being.
- Virtue provides the moral compass necessary to ensure that rulers act not only in their own interest but also for the common good.

II. General Principles for the Preservation of Regimes

The Importance of Laws to Preserve the Regime
- Laws that are beneficial to the regime play a crucial role in its preservation. These laws guide both the rulers and the citizens in their interactions and help maintain the integrity of the political system.
- The greatest principle for preserving a regime is to ensure that the majority of the citizens (the multitude) support the regime and its structure. The majority must desire the regime more than those who oppose it.
  - If more citizens favor the regime than oppose it, the regime is likely to endure.
The Importance of the Middling Element
- Aristotle emphasizes the significance of the middling class (the group between the wealthy and the poor) in maintaining regime stability.
- Extreme regimes (e.g., extreme democracies or extreme oligarchies) tend to neglect the middling class, which weakens the regime and makes it more prone to revolution.
  - Aristotle argues that the middle class acts as a stabilizing force, and regimes should cultivate and protect it to avoid factional conflict between the wealthy and the poor.
- Deviant regimes: These are regimes that lean too far toward either democracy or oligarchy without maintaining a balance, and they often lead to instability due to this imbalance.

III. Dangers of Extremism in Democracy and Oligarchy

The Dangers of Pushing a Regime to Extremes
- Both democracy and oligarchy can become unstable when taken to extremes.
  - Example: A democracy may become too populist, focusing too heavily on the will of the masses at the expense of the wealthy or educated classes.
  - An oligarchy may become too elitist, giving too much power to the few and ignoring the needs of the broader population.
- Pushing a regime toward its extreme weakens it, eventually making it not even a regime at all.
Analogy of the Deformed Nose
- Aristotle uses an analogy to explain the danger of extremism in regimes. A nose that deviates slightly from the ideal form can still be considered attractive, but if pushed too far in one direction (e.g., too hooked or too flat), it ceases to look like a nose at all.
- Moderate deviations from the ideal form in democracy or oligarchy can be tolerable, but extreme deviations lead to the destruction of the regime’s identity and functionality.

IV. The Role of Lawgivers and Political Experts

Political Knowledge and Preservation
- Lawgivers and political experts should understand the elements of both democracy and oligarchy that contribute to either the preservation or destruction of those regimes.
  - Democracy: Political experts should know which democratic practices support the regime and which ones destabilize it.
  - Oligarchy: Similarly, in oligarchies, political leaders should recognize which oligarchic practices promote stability and which ones lead to division and downfall.
Balancing Wealth and the Multitude
- Both democracy and oligarchy require the cooperation of the wealthy and the general populace to function properly. A regime cannot survive if either group is entirely neglected or alienated.
- Leveling property: Excessive redistribution of wealth, especially in democracies, can destroy the regime by erasing the economic distinctions that are part of its structure.
  - By excessively redistributing wealth to satisfy the majority, political leaders may inadvertently create a new regime by destroying the economic basis of the current one.

V. Common Errors in Democracies and Oligarchies

Errors in Democracies
- In democracies where the multitude has authority over the laws, popular leaders often make the mistake of constantly fighting with the wealthy, which divides the city into two hostile factions (the rich and the poor).
- Instead of fostering unity, democratic leaders should aim to represent both the people and the wealthy, ensuring that both groups feel included in the regime.
Errors in Oligarchies
- In oligarchies, the ruling elite often make a similar error by opposing the interests of the poor and neglecting their well-being.
- Some oligarchic leaders even swear oaths to harm the people, which further alienates the majority and destabilizes the regime.
- Aristotle argues that oligarchic leaders should instead swear to avoid acting unjustly toward the people, creating a sense of trust and cooperation between the rulers and the ruled.

VI. Education Relative to the Regime

The Central Role of Education in Regime Stability
- Aristotle stresses that the most critical factor in preserving a regime, though often neglected, is education relative to the regime.
- Even the best laws will not be effective if citizens are not properly educated and habituated to support the regime.
- The type of education should correspond to the type of regime:
  - In a democracy, citizens should be educated to support democratic values.
  - In an oligarchy, citizens should be educated to uphold oligarchic principles.
The Importance of Self-Control and Discipline
- Education is essential for fostering self-control among citizens and rulers, which is necessary to maintain the regime’s stability.
- Without proper education, citizens may lack the self-discipline needed to support the regime, leading to instability.
Misguided Education in Oligarchies and Democracies
- In oligarchies, the children of the ruling elite are often raised in luxury, while the children of the poor are trained through hard work and exercise. This imbalance increases the likelihood that the poor will attempt to overthrow the regime.
- In extreme democracies, freedom is often misunderstood as doing whatever one desires, rather than acting in the best interest of the regime.

VII. The Misinterpretation of Freedom in Extreme Democracies

The Two Misunderstandings of Democracy
- Aristotle identifies two primary misunderstandings of democracy:
  - Majority Rule: The idea that whatever the majority decides should be considered just, regardless of its impact on the regime.
  - Freedom as License: The belief that true freedom means doing whatever one wants, without regard for laws or the common good.
The Consequences of Misinterpreted Freedom
- In such democracies, citizens live according to their own desires without considering the needs of the regime or community.
- This leads to a fragmented society where citizens act independently, pursuing personal goals at the expense of the collective good.
True Freedom in the Context of a Regime
- Aristotle argues that living with a view toward preserving the regime should not be seen as slavery, but rather as a form of true freedom.
- Freedom in a well-functioning regime involves acting in accordance with the laws and values of the regime, which ensures its long-term survival.

VIII. Conclusion: Causes of Regime Revolution and Preservation

Factors Leading to Revolution
- Extremism in either democracy or oligarchy, neglect of the middling class, miseducation, and misunderstandings of freedom and equality contribute to the downfall of regimes.
Factors Leading to Preservation
- Regimes are preserved by:
  - Ensuring that the majority supports the regime.
  - Properly educating citizens to uphold the regime’s values.
  - Balancing the interests of different social classes (e.g., the wealthy and the poor).
  - Avoiding extremes in political practices that alienate key groups or destabilize the regime’s foundation.

Aristotle concludes that the survival of a regime depends on both the structural balance of power and the moral and educational preparation of its citizens and rulers.

This chapter emphasizes the importance of balanced governance, the role of education in regime stability, and the dangers of pushing any regime to its extreme. Aristotle calls for rulers to prioritize the long-term stability of their regime over short-term gains or personal desires.

Aristotle's Republic – A Study