亚里士多德是有史以来最伟大的哲学家之一，是世界领袖亚历山大大帝的老师，也是一位多产的作家，他研究了许多我们可能认为与哲学无关的主题，提供了有关古代政治的重要信息。他在所有基本制度中区分好的和坏的统治形式；所以，有好的和坏的统治形式，由一个（孟执政），少数（奥列格执政，阿里斯执政），或许多（民主政体）。

所有政府类型都有否定形式

对亚里士多德来说，民主不是最好的政府形式。正如寡头政治和君主制一样，民主政体中的统治是由政府类型中指定的人民进行的。在一个民主国家里，统治是由穷人和为穷人而设的。相比之下，法治或贵族（字面意思是最好的权力[统治]）甚至君主制（统治者以国家利益为中心）都是更好的政府类型。

最符合规则

亚里士多德说，政府应该由那些有足够时间追求美德的人来管理。这与美国目前推行的竞选融资法大相径庭，该法旨在让那些没有天赋父亲的人也能享受政治生活。它也与现代职业政治家大不相同，后者以牺牲公民为代价获取财富。亚里士多德认为统治者应该有财产和休闲，这样，他们就可以不用担心，把时间花在创造美德上。工人们太忙了。

Book III - "But the citizen whom we are seeking to define is a citizen in the strictest sense, against whom no such exception can be taken, and his special characteristic is that he shares in the administration of justice, and in offices. He who has the power to take part in the deliberative or judicial administration of any state is said by us to be a citizens of that state; and, speaking generally, a state is a body of citizens sufficing for the purposes of life.... For tyranny is a kind of monarchy which has in view the interest of the monarch only; oligarchy has in view the interest of the wealthy; democracy, of the needy: none of them the common good of all. Tyranny, as I was saying, is monarchy exercising the rule of a master over the political society; oligarchy is when men of property have the government in their hands; democracy, the opposite, when the indigent, and not the men of property, are the rulers." Book VII "The citizens must not lead the life of mechanics or tradesmen, for such a life is ignoble, and inimical to virtue. Neither must they be farmers, since leisure is necessary both for the development of virtue and the performance of political duties."

来源

• 亚里士多德政治学
• 古希腊民主的特点与民主的兴起
• 古代作家论民主

1. 亚里士多德·修昔底德通过伯里克利的葬礼演讲将民主与寡头政治和君主假想相比较