Aristocracy

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.

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.

When it lies with the chosen, then that state is said to be ruled by the will of the best men.

The relation of husband to wife seems to be in the nature of an aristocracy:

The friendship between husband and wife again is the same as that which prevails between rulers and subjects in an aristocracy;

The constitutions are Kingship, Aristocracy, and thirdly, a constitution based on a property classification, which it seems appropriate to describe as timocratic, although most people are accustomed to speak of it merely as a constitutional government or Republic.

England has already revenged itself upon the feudal aristocracy by creating a monied one.

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 …

Then whenever the rich imitate this government, we call such a state an aristocracy;

And the state that is ruled by the few is called, as the case may be, aristocracy or oligarchy.