Politics

Study Guide

Core Ideas

Promoting Moderation and Education

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Core Ideas Promoting Moderation and Education

Aristotle believed that an end is good only when pursued in moderation, and that evil is the result of ignorance. These two beliefs lead Aristotle to proclaim that moderation and education are forces that can ensure the stability of a constitution.

To illustrate the usefulness of moderation and education, Aristotle observes that revolutions occur when a powerful faction rises to oppose the ruling faction. However, if a ruling faction can harness its extremist tendencies it will be less likely to alienate those who are not in power and, thus, it will be less likely even to face an opposing faction.

Just as a policy of moderation can keep those who are not in power from forming factions, education can help those who are in power to work toward the goal of upholding the constitution. Aristotle’s suggestion to both democracies and oligarchies is that they become more moderate and seek more actively to please those who are being excluded.

It is worth noting that Aristotle differentiates between democracy and politeia, oligarchy and aristocracy, based on the fact that the bad forms of government (democracy and oligarchy) aim at the interests of just the ruling faction, while the good forms (politeia and aristocracy) aim at the interests of all. In recommending that oligarchies and democracies aim to please those who are being kept from power, Aristotle is essentially recommending that they become more like their good counterparts (politeias and aristocracies). Thus, while claiming ostensibly to teach various constitutions how to preserve themselves, Aristotle covertly aims for every constitution to serve the interests of all.