Aristocracy
idea · 4 works · 5 mentions · 6 anchored passages
aristocracy · administration by the few · chosen men · feudal aristocracy · landed aristocracy · monied aristocracy · rule of the best men · the best men · the government of the best
spoken of as
1 expressionRule of the best men“aristocracy”1 mention
On the Commonwealth (Latin)
But they say that this best condition has been overthrown by the perverse opinions of men, who, through ignorance of virtue—which, being in few, is judged and discerned by few—think that wealthy and well-supplied men, or men born of noble family, are the best.
in the texts
On the Commonwealth
Government by a select group of the most virtuous or capable citizens.
But they say that this best condition has been overthrown by the perverse opinions of men, who, through ignorance of virtue—which, being in few, is judged and discerned by few—think that wealthy and well-supplied men, or men born of noble family, are the best.
There are present the best men, who profess that they do this same thing better, and say there will be more counsel in several than in one, and yet the same fairness and good faith.
and though the Massiliots, our clients, are ruled with the utmost justice by chosen and leading citizens, yet there is in that condition a certain likeness of servitude in the people;
Nicomachean Ethics
One of the three good constitutions, rule by the best according to virtue; corrupts into oligarchy when rulers favor themselves.
Aristocracy passes into Oligarchy owing to badness in the rulers, who do not distribute what the State has to offer according to desert, but give all or most of its benefits to themselves, and always assign the offices to the same persons, because they set supreme value upon riches;
The friendship between husband and wife again is the same as that which prevails between rulers and subjects in an aristocracy;
The relation of husband to wife seems to be in the nature of an aristocracy:
Construction Construed and Constitutions Vindicated
The succession of feudal, monied, and landed aristocracies discussed as historical examples in the closing ironic argument against creating a new tributary class through the protecting-duty system.
England has already revenged itself upon the feudal aristocracy by creating a monied one.
Republic
The ideal constitution ruled by the best, already described earlier in the dialogue and used as the starting point for the coming account of decline.
Now we have already described the man corresponding to aristocracy or the government of the best, whom we aver to be the truly good and just man.
Must we not, then, next after this, survey the inferior types, the man who is contentious and covetous of honor, corresponding to the Laconian constitution, and the oligarchical man in turn, and the democratic and the tyrant, in order that, after observing the most unjust of all, we may oppose him to the most just, and complete our inquiry as to the relation of pure justice and pure injustice in r …