Democracy Quotes by Aristotle

Democracy is when the indigent, and not the men of property, are the rulers.

— Aristotle

A democracy when put to the strain grows weak, and is supplanted by Oligarchy.

— Aristotle

The democrats think that as they are equal they ought to be equal in all things.

— Aristotle

Republics decline into democracies and democracies degenerate into despotisms.

— Aristotle

A right election can only be made by those who have knowledge.

— Aristotle

The basis of a democratic state is liberty

— Aristotle

Democracy is the form of government in which the free are rulers.

— Aristotle

The perversions are as follows: of royalty, tyranny; of aristocracy, oligarchy; of constitutional government, democracy.

— Aristotle

A democracy is a government in the hands of men of low birth, no property, and vulgar employments.

— Aristotle

In a democracy the poor will have more power than the rich, because there are more of them, and the will of…

— Aristotle

A democracy is a government in the hands of men of low birth, no property, and vulgar employment.

— Aristotle

A government which is composed of the middle class more nearly approximates to democracy than to oligarchy, and is the safest of…

— Aristotle

Democracy arises out of the notion that those who are equal in any respect are equal in all respects; because men are…

— Aristotle

Democracy arose from mans thinking that if they are equal in any respect, they are equal absolutely.

— Aristotle

Democracy arose from men's thinking that if they are equal in any respect, they are equal absolutely.

— Aristotle

“the fact that it took the rise of democracies and otherwise open societies at Athens and elsewhere to create the climate in…

— Aristotle

Democracy is the form of government in which the free are rulers, and oligarchy in which the rich; it is only an…

— Aristotle

The real difference between democracy and oligarchy is poverty and wealth. Wherever men rule by reason of their wealth, whether they be…

— Aristotle

The form of government is a democracy when the free, who are also poor and the majority, govern, and an oligarchy when…

— Aristotle

Of old, the demagogue was also a general, and then democracies changed into tyrannies. Most of the ancient tyrants were originally demagogues.…

— Aristotle

If liberty and equality, as is thought by some, are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when…

— Aristotle

The right constitutions, three in number- kingship, aristocracy, and polity- and the deviations from these, likewise three in number - tyranny from…

— Aristotle

A democracy exists whenever those who are free and are not well-off, being in the majority, are in sovereign control of government,…

— Aristotle

In the Laws it is maintained that the best constitution is made up of democracy and tyranny, which are either not constitutions…

— Aristotle

“In a democracy the poor will have more power than the rich, because there are more of them, and the will of…

— Aristotle

There are still two forms besides democracy and oligarchy; one of them is universally recognized and included among the four principal forms…

— Aristotle

The legislator should direct his attention above all to the education of youth; for the neglect of education does harm to the…

— Aristotle

Yet the true friend of the people should see that they be not too poor, for extreme povery lowers the character of…

— Aristotle

And what has come to prevail in democracies is the very reverse of beneficial, in those, that is, which are regarded as…

— Aristotle

Just as a royal rule, if not a mere name, must exist by virtue of some great personal superiority in the king,…

— Aristotle

There is an error common to both oligarchies and to democracies: in the latter the demagogues, when the multitude are above the…

— Aristotle

Money originated with royalty and slavery, it has nothing to do with democracy or the struggle of the empoverished enslaved majority.

— Aristotle

No democracy can exist unless each of its citizens is as capable of outrage at injustice to another as he is of…

— Aristotle

The true friend of the people should see that they be not too poor, for extreme poverty lowers the character of the…

— Aristotle

Masculine republics give way to feminine democracies, and feminine democracies give way to tyranny.

— Aristotle

The many are more incorruptible than the few; they are like the greater quantity of water which is less easily corrupted than…

— Aristotle

Where some people are very wealthy and others have nothing, the result will be either extreme democracy or absolute oligarchy, or despotism…

— Aristotle

Of governments there are said to be only two forms - democracy and oligarchy. For aristocracy is considered to be a kind…

— Aristotle

Because the rich are generally few in number, while the poor are many, they appear to be antagonistic, and as the one…

— Aristotle

Neither should we forget the mean, which at the present day is lost sight of in perverted forms of government; for many…

— Aristotle