Aristotle Quotes about Democracy

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

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

Giving, Democracy, Republic

Republics decline into democracies and democracies degenerate into despotisms.

Philosophical, Historical, Democracy

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

Aristotle

Struggle, Democracy, Majority

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

Aristotle

Government, Democracy, Aristocracy

Aristotle (2016). “Politics”, p.91, Aristotle

Of governments there are said to be only two forms - democracy and oligarchy. For aristocracy is considered to be a kind of oligarchy, as being the rule of a few, and the so-called constitutional government to be really a democracy.

Aristotle

Two, Government, Democracy

Aristotle, Stephen Everson (1996). “Aristotle: The Politics and the Constitution of Athens”, p.95, Cambridge University Press

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

Aristotle

Class, Government, Democracy

Aristotle (2013). “The Essential Aristotle”, p.324, Simon and Schuster

Where some people are very wealthy and others have nothing, the result will be either extreme democracy or absolute oligarchy, or despotism will come from either of those excesses.

Aristotle

People, Democracy, Excess

'Politics' bk. 1, sect. 4, 1296a

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

Aristotle

Democracy, Oligarchy, Weak

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

Aristotle

Government, Democracy, Form

Aristotle (2013). “The Essential Aristotle”, p.301, Simon and Schuster

In the Laws it is maintained that the best constitution is made up of democracy and tyranny, which are either not constitutions at all, or are the worst of all. But they are nearer the truth who combine many forms; for the constitution is better which is made up of more numerous elements. The constitution proposed in the Laws has no element of monarchy at all; it is nothing but oligarchy and democracy, leaning rather to oligarchy.

Aristotle

Law, Government, Democracy

Aristotle, Stephen Everson (1996). “Aristotle: The Politics and the Constitution of Athens”, p.42, Cambridge University Press

In a democracy the poor will have more power than the rich, because there are more of them, and the will of the majority is supreme.

Aristotle

Power, Democracies Have, Democracy

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

Aristotle

Democracy, Citizens, Injustice

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

Aristotle

Water, Democracy, Littles

Aristotle, (2014). “Complete Works of Aristotle, Volume 2: The Revised Oxford Translation”, p.2041, Princeton University Press

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

Aristotle

Men, Hands, Democracy

Democracy is the form of government in which the free are rulers, and oligarchy in which the rich; it is only an accident that the free are the many and the rich are the few.

Aristotle

Government, Democracy, Oligarchy

Aristotle (2013). “The Essential Aristotle”, p.301, Simon and Schuster

The legislator should direct his attention above all to the education of youth; for the neglect of education does harm to the constitution. The citizen should be molded to suit the form of government under which he lives. For each government has a peculiar character which originally formed and which continues to preserve it. The character of democracy creates democracy, and the character of oligarchy creates oligarchy.

Aristotle

Character, Government, Democracy

Aristotle (2013). “The Essential Aristotle”, p.389, Simon and Schuster

The form of government is a democracy when the free, who are also poor and the majority, govern, and an oligarchy when the rich and the noble govern, they being at the same time few in number.

Aristotle

Government, Numbers, Democracy

Aristotle, (2016). “Aristotle's Politics: Writings from the Complete Works: Politics, Economics, Constitution of Athens”, p.98, Princeton University Press

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

Aristotle

Numbers, Political, Democracy

Aristotle Quotes about Democracy

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