Ancient and Medieval Political Theory - Essay Example

Ancient and medieval political theory Democracy is a form of governance where the majority rules and excludes the views of those who do not belong in the majority. Democracy is the most common system of governance in the world today but it came under criticism from great thinkers like Plato one of the most influential philosophical and political thinkers. Plato made it clear that he dislike democratic system of government of Greece. In his book, “the Republic” Plato states that oligarchy and timocracy are favorable to democracy and that anarchy or totalitarianism is a less preferable system of government. Plato was an enemy of democracy because according to him, he identified deficiencies in the Athenian democracy. Plato asserted that the Athenian democracy promoted inherent class tension did not focus on promoting equality and liberty of all the people and it was incompetent form of governance (Plato 295). Aristotle offers the best explanation about just city because according to him, a regime is that which provides ‘eidos’ or form to a certain political community. This type of regime by description means a distinct end or ‘telos’ that a regime will hold as its authoritative manner of life. This implies that the regime will organize the authoritative institution within that particular political community. Therefore, a regime is the scheme or form, which arranges political society with respect to its bureau or offices particularly the sovereign. Aristotle argues that the polis is the political environment or society and the political society has power over the citizens or the governed. Aristotle states that what structures the political society is the scheme or structure of the community that has power over and governs over all the other schemes or forms of political community or society that influence human habitat (Aristotle 21-3). According to Plato, inherent class tensions were evident in the disunity between the Athenian classes that lacked discipline and respect to the ordinary citizens because of power. This according to Plato came from the incentives of the governed not to submit to the opinions of the governors. Democratic society in this sense goes on to abuse as contemptible people who honor and respect the authorities and preserves its approval in personal and public life for governors or rules who act like subjects and subjects who act like governors or rulers. Consequently, this leads to dictatorship and revolution. Plato explains that this eventuality leads to totalitarianism which is the most cruel and unjust system of government. This takes place when people flush with authority appoint a representative whose ways to being a dictator is evident. Plato as he criticized democratic form of government used tyrannical nature of Athens as an example. Democratic form of government aims at safeguarding human rights is, for Plato prone to develop into tyranny and resistance because of lack of respect for order, discipline, and sense of duty (Plato 298). On the other hand, Aristotle argues that the typology of regimes is used comprehended as the conceptual platform that describes regimes. According to Aristotle, there are distinct kinds or types of regimes since the city has many different parts. Among the residents of the city, there are differences in trade, wealth, family, and virtue. Aristotle viewed a regime as an arrangement of offices and distinct cities organize their offices in accordance with which the group of the city is preeminent. Aristotle asserts that there are three types of regimes, which include polity, aristocracy, and kingship. These regimes have a disintegrate regime corresponding to each other which include democracy, tyranny and oligarchy. Aristotle argued that polity, as type of regime is a mixture of democracy and oligarchy. Aristotle proposes that we desire kingship regime but because of its ability to generate into totalitarianism, it is not a good regime. For Aristotle, kingship is easy and simple because the ruler is one who in this case is the king. In this type of regime, only one citizen exists in kingship regime who is the king. The other regime that Aristotle proposed was aristocracy, which is ruled or governed by a virtuous or ethical leader (Aristotle 29). Additionally, Plato also criticized the essential ideals, upon which democracy is formed, the issue of liberty. According to Plato, liberty leads to totalitarianism and this implies that social disunity is likely to occur. Plato says that democratic system of governance comprises of all types of people, which depicts emphasis on the absence of cohesiveness in a democratic nation. Pervasive liberty implies people are permitted to do what they want and desire, and not what they are trained to do. Plato thought that people must focus and remain committed to the profession in which they got God given talents and skills. This in turn matches to a sense of unified, efficient society and social justice, a level of unity that Plato imagined could not be attained in a democratic society. In his book, ‘the Republic’ Plato states that giving power in the hands of some individuals has detrimental aftermath on the justice and efficacy of the nation. This is because he doubted the ability of people to govern in a just manner (Plato 299). Plato believed that since the possessions or wishes of some minority people in society interfere with the acquisitiveness, and wishes of the majority, the final product of democracy will definitely be a chaotic, disorganized, and undisciplined society. Therefore, according to Plato, choosing or electing a leader into position of power does not make sense since democracy is a process of elections, which leads to corruption since the elected person would be given much power. This argument is a based on the fact that power corrupts while absolute power corrupts absolutely. This is true since matters are decided by votes. For instance, policies governing how a person may use his or her land may be determined by vote (Plato 301). Plato’s assertions were justified since he did not spare both the governed and the rulers. Plato compared the politicians who have been elected to the crew who all the time like quarrelling one another about how to the ship ought to be navigated in that each feels that he ought to be the leader or at the helm. Instead, Plato asserts a good leader is the one who does not put his personal interests first at the expense of the masses (Plato 300). Polity as a form of regime is a mixture of democracy and oligarchy. Therefore, Aristotle stated that relying on the rulers or governors; it can be either democratic or oligarchic. On one hand, oligarchic polity regime would be governed or ruled by few rich people while on the other hand, democratic polity regime involves governance by middle class and that power or authority is vested in people. According to Aristotle, this is the best regime of all because middle class comprises of majority of residents in a city and therefore the regime permits engagement in the daily operation of the city. These regimes should aim to attain happiness and virtue of the citizens (Aristotle 32). Plato was of the idea that an ideal state, one, which embodies the best and highest abilities of human social life, can be achieved if the right rulers are in charge. Since the key factor that could ensure the achievement of such a state is the wisdom of those in power, who are responsible for making decisions for the entire state, Plato was of the view that such a state can only be achieved if rulers become philosophers or if philosophers are allowed to rule. This is because, Plato argued, only those people with a philosophical disposition are competent enough to evaluate what is real and what appears to be the reality, between the misleading, temporary appearances of objects and the unchanging and permanent reality of abstract forms. Plato asserts that philosophers who contemplate about such things should not be considered as ideal dreamers. They are the true realists in society. He argues that the detachment from the realm of sensory images that makes philosophers able to make accurate judgments about issues in life (Plato 300). Plato candidly attacked and criticized Athenian democracy by stating that ineffectiveness and injustice of democratic form of government results because of placing too much power in the hands of the rulers. Further, he stated that political equality and liberty do not offer real justice and happiness for the masses or the majority in the State. Plato instead explains that electing or choosing a great orator or philosopher does not leads to efficient governance but a good governor is the one who is morally righteous and concerned about the needs of the people who elected him or her to the office. Political judgment or prudence plays a significant role in founding the regimes. Aristotle states that man as a political animal exist together. Therefore, there is the association between speech and reason, which shows to us what is good and harmful, and by knowing what is just and unjust, good and bad, it makes people to live together and at the same time makes political leaders to pursue what is good for the people. It is the interests of political leaders that make them determine how to rule or govern which in turn may lead to any regime such as polity, democracy, or aristocracy. Aristotle states that a regime is the scheme or form, which arranges political society with respect to its bureau or offices particularly the sovereign. According to Aristotle, there are different types of regimes, which include polity, aristocracy, and kingship. He proposes a polity type of regime as the best regimes of all because it represents the interests of the majority. Political prudence plays a vital role in founding the regimes depending on the ideologies of the ruling class. Bibliography Aristotle. The Politics. Trans. Carnes Lord. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1984. Print. Plato, The Republic, trans. Alan Bloom, 2nd edition (New York, NY: Basic Books, 1991) Read More