Government Quotes by Aristotle

It is better for a city to be governed by a good man than by good laws.

— Aristotle

That rule is the better which is exercised over better subjects.

— Aristotle

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

— Aristotle

Good laws, if they are not obeyed, do not constitute good government.

— Aristotle

They should rule who are able to rule best.

— Aristotle

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

— Aristotle

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

— Aristotle

The only stable principle of government is equality according to proportion, and for every man to enjoy his own.

— Aristotle

When there is no middle class, and the poor greatly exceed in number, troubles arise, and the state soon comes to an…

— Aristotle

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

— Aristotle

But is it just then that the few and the wealthy should be the rulers? And what if they, in like manner,…

— Aristotle

Aristocracy is that form of government in which education and discipline are qualifications for suffrage and office holding.

— Aristotle

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

— Aristotle

To the size of the state there is a limit, as there is to plants, animals and implements, for none of these…

— Aristotle

That the equalization of property exercises an influence on political society was clearly understood even by some of the old legislators. Laws…

— Aristotle

A state is not a mere society, having a common place, established for the prevention of mutual crime and for the sake…

— Aristotle

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

— Aristotle

“We shall learn the qualities of governments in the same way as we learn the qualities of individuals, since they are revealed…

— Aristotle

There are three qualifications required in those who have to fill the highest offices, - (1) first of all, loyalty to the…

— Aristotle

Once more: there are three offices according to whose directions the highest magistrates are chosen in certain states - guardians of the…

— Aristotle

The government of freemen is nobler and implies more virtue than despotic government. Neither is a city to be deemed happy or…

— Aristotle

The citizens begin by giving up some part of the constitution, and so with greater ease the government change something else which…

— Aristotle

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

— Aristotle

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

— Aristotle

Some things the legislator must find ready to his hand in a state, others he must provide. And therefore we can only…

— Aristotle

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

— Aristotle

That which most contributes to the permanence of constitutions is the adaptation of education to the form of government, and yet in…

— Aristotle

These, then, are the four kinds of royalty. First the monarchy of the heroic ages; this was exercised over voluntary subjects, but…

— Aristotle

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

— Aristotle

If the state cannot be entirely composed of good men, and yet each citizen is expected to do his own business well,…

— Aristotle

Different men seek after happiness in different ways and by different means, and so make for themselves different modes of life and…

— Aristotle

There is also a doubt as to what is to be the supreme power in the state: - Is it the multitude?…

— Aristotle

The good lawgiver should inquire how states and races of men and communities may participate in a good life, and in the…

— Aristotle

Equality is of two kinds, numerical and proportional; by the first I mean sameness of equality in number or size; by the…

— Aristotle

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

— Aristotle

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

— Aristotle

Now it is evident that the form of government is best in which every man, whoever he is, can act best and…

— Aristotle

The state or political community, which is the highest of all, and which embraces all the rest, aims at good in a…

— Aristotle

The proof that the state is a creation of nature and prior to the individual is that the individual, when isolated, is…

— Aristotle

When the citizens at large administer the state for the common interest, the government is called by the generic name - a…

— Aristotle