9781422277737

In his long essay Politics , the Greek philosopher Aristotle described different types of government systems found in the ancient world, including oligarchy.

government. He wrote that oligarchy, which was a common form of government in Greece during his time, was rule by the rich, or upper class. By contrast, democracy—which Aristotle equated with mob rule—resulted when the poor, or lower class, held political power. Aristotle argued that an ideal form of government is one in which there is a large middle class in charge. In Politics , his great work on political philosophy, Aristotle wrote, “Great then is the good fortune of a state in which the citizens have a moderate and sufficient property; for where some possess

Oligarchy and the Elite

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