Aristotle’s Notion of Rule by the Most Excellent and its Significance in Political Thought (Term Paper Sample)

Student’s Name Professor’s Name Political Science DD MM YYYY Aristotle’s Notion of Rule by the Most Excellent and its Significance in Political Thought Introduction Aristotle’s political works offer vivid and substantive conception of politics through a philosophical point, summed up as “the philosophy of things human”. From his works, it is easy to denote why many of the virtues catalogued, such as justice, bravery, and munificence, relate one way or another to a political community. While depicting an ideal political society, Aristotle argues that justice is one of the major concepts, and the ideal political community sketched in Politics VII and VIII presupposes an account of virtue and happiness. One of the central elements of his political thoughts is the conception that the most excellent individuals ought to be ruling for any society to attain political stability. Aristotle portrays the polis as something that naturally arises out of households, with the improvement of economic conditions. He argues that human beings are political animals, and that the polis is naturally prior to any individual citizen (Kraut 2). Aristotle holds that in a well-governed city the citizens must be educated about public matters and their political decisions should not be dictated by their narrow, material interest. As such, the most excellent individuals within the population are best-suited to steer the polis and govern the people. As a contribution to democracy, Aristotle’s thoughts on the most excellent ruling are driven by economic incentives, where their resources are sizable enough to allow them to look at the interests of all and pool their knowledge, thereby playing a valuable role in a well-governed polis. Aristotle’s Political Theory on the Rule of the Most Excellent Aristotle’s view on political governance is keenly tied to his ethical framework, “Nicomachean Ethics”, which sought to conceptualize a society fostering the common good while enabling citizens to flourish. According to Ober (2015), Aristotle’s Politics builds up as a teleological account of the emergence and characteristics of the polis as the form of social organization that is best suited to the lives of human beings as political animals (224). Therefore, the concept of political governance stems from the need to adhere to humans’ natural instincts of maintaining ethics by forming structured systems that allows others to rule over the rest of the people in society. In Book I of Aristotle’s “Nicomachean Ethics”, he argues that individuals’ virtue and character are critical in demonstrating their knowledge of the good, while seeking to rule over others (Crisp 4-5). Amidst the extremes within individuals’, Aristotle identifies virtues as traits aimed at promoting a harmonious and balanced way of life. Therefore, individuals with key virtues such as wisdom, justice, temperance, and courage are the most fit to make just decisions and maintain stability within the polis. In his works, Politics, Aristotle defines the State as the highest form of community and aims at the highest good (Jowett and Henry 31). The ultimate objective of the State is thus to provide the good life for its people. Aristotle contends that the most excellent individuals possess the qualities and virtues that are ideal in effectively governing and leading society toward its collective wellbeing. Mijuskovic (2016) notes that Aristotle classified authority in the form of two main parts: the correct authority and moose authority (13). The correct forms of government then are basileus, aristocracy, and politeia, which are based on the common good (Mijuskovic 13). Aristotle’s political thought is aligned with the ethical principles, and he states that the government should reflect in the virtue that is “law” or the “golden mean”. In Book I, Aristotle establishes that, “Every state is a community of some kind, and every community is established with a view to some good; for mankind always act in order to obtain that which they think good.” (Jowett 3). As such, those in a position to stand out as leaders of the State must understand that the State should aim at good in a greater degree than any other. Aristotle argues that the elements of which the State is composed depicts the kind of rule to be exercised by the people capable of ruling others (Jowett 3-4). It is therefore crucial for people to confide in the most excellent individuals within the society, and avail them with the ultimate power of governing the state and ruling over them. Notably, Aristotle distinguishes the various types of rules and how this influences the form of leadership exhibited by the most excellent in the society. Among the three major types of rules, he identifies the monarchy as where one individual rules over others, aristocracy as ruling by the few, and polity as rule by the many. In his works, Aristotle argues it is necessary that some individuals should rule and others be ruled, a factor that is expedient from the hour of their birth (Jowett 8). He also contends that in all types of rules desired by man, the lower sort are by nature slaves, and it is better for them as for all inferiors that they should be under the rule of a master (Jowett 9). The most excellent individuals are thus viewed to be of superior caliber in any society, gradually granting them with the power to rule over the inferior individuals. The distinction denoted in these types of rules display an amicable decision over the extent of perfections and corruptions that can affect each rule. Aristotle notes that a monarchy may become tyranny, aristocracy may be smelted to oligarchy, and polity may turn into democracy (Ober 227). He therefore argues that the rule of the most excellent in any type of rule is the most ideal from of governance, with the capability of prioritizing the common good over the interests of the rulers. Rationale Behind the Rule of the Most Excellent Aristotle built on the idea of natural hierarchy within society, where individuals have different virtues and capabilities. Swanson (1994) notes that there is a natural hierarchy even among higher intellectual virtues, and to be truly excellent one must have the highest of them – wisdom (NE 1141a16-17) (194). The most excellent individuals must therefore be wise by having knowledge of the whole of nature, of what is demonstratable and indemonstrable. According to Aristotle, intuitive reason is what makes individuals stand out and excel in ruling others (Swanson 195). He argues that in the same manner that the body has a natural hierarchy with the head as its highest part, society must also have a hierarchy with the most excellent individuals at the helm of affairs (Keyt 405). Aristotle’s ideal city sets standards for naturalness and Aristotelian justice, implying that the ideal polis is in a completely natural condition. In such a natural ideal society, the most excellent individuals, through their wisdom and virtue, are best suited to govern the people and ensure the well-being of the entire community and the society at large. In addition, Aristotle affirms that the most excellent have the capacity to rule as they possess experience and practical wisdom, allowing them to make informed decisions for the greater good. In his works, Politics, Aristotle notes that true happiness flows from the possession of wisdom and virtue, and not from the possession of external goods (Jowett and Henry 44). In defining aristocracy, Aristotle argues that it is a form of government formed of the best men absolutely, and not merely of men who are good when tried by any given standard (Jowett and Henry 184). In aristocracies, magistrates are chosen, both according to their wealth and according to their merit. As such, those deemed to be of the highest merit and reputation for virtue are selected to rule over the community, with the understanding that they possess the desired knowledge to propel the community towards a greater good. According to Kraut (2002), a fully virtuous individual is one who meets the exacting standards spelt out by Aristotle in his ethical works: he must possess practical wisdom, consisting of an understanding of the highest goals of human life as well as the ability to hit the mean in every circumstance (7). Such an individual should have the knowledge to decipher what is the most ideal way to rule over the people by making significant decisions for the people. Possessing practical wisdom implies that the most excellent person to rule has the ability to discern the right course of action in various scenarios, considering unique contexts and circumstances. Moreover, Aristotle’s works on politics demonstrated that the most excellent are driven to rule well due to their disinterestedness in personal gain. The polis is dependent on its citizens to defend the city from potential attacks, thereby sustaining the institutions of justice, and contributing to its common good (Kraut 9). Aristotle argues that since the polis is the community that is most sovereign of all and aims at the best, it is only justifiable that the most excellent individuals take the mandate of ruling over the polis and aim at substantiating this common good rather than their personal gain (Keyt 394-395). According to Kraut (2002), what makes rule correct is that it aims and achieves the common good (rather than merely the good of those in power) (7). On this ground, the most excellent seek to exercise and achieve the common good in their rule rather than exercising rule for their own sakes. Aristotle cuts across the level of power wielded by the different economic classes, arguing that in oligarchies, those with more resources have more power than those with fewer resources (Kraut 7). As such, the most excellent seek the good of all citizens equally rather than exercising rule for their own personal gain. Being detached from their person...