Submitted by Simon Black of Sovereign Man blog,
Nearly 2,400 years ago, Aristotle wrote one of the defining works of political philosophy in a book entitled Politics.
It’s still incredibly relevant today, particularly what he writes about tyranny.
The ancient Greeks used the word ‘turannos’, which referred to an illegitimate ruler who governs without regard for the law or interests of the people, often through violent and coercive means.
Aristotle attacks tyrants mercilessly in his book, and clearly spells out the criteria which make a leader tyrannical. You may recognize a few of them:
-
Artistotle suggests that a tyrant rises to power by first demonstrating that he is a man of the people:
“He ought to show himself to his subjects in the light, not of a tyrant, but of a steward and a king.”
and
“He should be moderate, not extravagant in his way of life; he should win the notables by companionship, and the multitude by flattery.”
-
But once in power, a tyrant uses all available means to hold on to power, including spying on his people:
More @ Sovereign Man
No comments:
Post a Comment