Aristotle:

Virtue & Vice;

Good & Bad Government
According to Aristotle:
Most people are neither completely virtuous
(good) or vicious (bad).
They are in the middle.
They either:
•Act with virtue but with difficulty or
•Do vicious (bad) things but struggle to act virtuously
They need a government that will help them be good.

Virtuous Restrained Unrestrained Vicious

Good Bad
 Aristotle:
Forms of Government
Good Government Bad Government
decays into
Monarchy (Best) Tyranny (Worst)

“Rule by One” Rule for One

decays into
Aristocracy (Good) (Worse)
Oligarchy

“Rule by the Best” Rule for the Few

decays into Democracy

Democracy (Poor) (Bad)
(Mob Rule)

“Rule by the Many” Everyone for themselves

Which form of Government does
Aristotle prefer?
Why?
Good Government
Monarchy

“Rule by One”

Aristocracy

“Rule by the Best”

Democracy

“Rule by the Many”

 Why Aristotle prefers Aristocracy
 Middle Class- neither very rich nor very
poor (balance of interests)
 Well Educated (able to use experience
in light of reason)
 Property Owners (committed to this
place, won’t run away)
 Should be numerically larger than the
rich and the poor combined (balance of
power)
 Presentation Requirements
 Every person in each group must
present their fact sheet and one
question
 At the beginning of the presentation
each group must present a creative
skit that illustrates one important
aspect of their form of government
 Aristotle divided human behavior into 4
categories, from all good to all bad.

•Virtuous: Those who easily act with virtue (good)

•Continent: Those who act with virtue but with difficulty
•Incontinent: Those who do vice (bad) but struggle to
act virtuously
•Vicious: One who does vice easily

Virtuous Restrained Unrestrained Vicious

Good Bad