He points out that St Robert took this definition from the Angelic Doctor, who had learned it from Aristotle. Aristotle defined three good forms of government and their 'evil twins'. Monarchy/tyranny, aristocracy/oligarchy, and polity or democracy/ochlocracy or 'mobocracy'. According to him, each 'good' form of government has a tendency to degenerate into its 'evil twin'. He posits that the form of government most likely to endure without degeneration is a 'mixed' government, containing elements of all three. This is sometimes referred to as a res publica mixta.
07 May 2018
Chevalier Charles Coulombe on 'Democracy + Monarchy + Aristocracy = Best Government?'
The Chevalier tackles that thorny problem, 'What is the best form of government?' The questioner asks if he agrees with St Robert Bellarmine, Doctor of the Church, that the optimal form of government contains elements of all three, monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy.
He points out that St Robert took this definition from the Angelic Doctor, who had learned it from Aristotle. Aristotle defined three good forms of government and their 'evil twins'. Monarchy/tyranny, aristocracy/oligarchy, and polity or democracy/ochlocracy or 'mobocracy'. According to him, each 'good' form of government has a tendency to degenerate into its 'evil twin'. He posits that the form of government most likely to endure without degeneration is a 'mixed' government, containing elements of all three. This is sometimes referred to as a res publica mixta.
He points out that St Robert took this definition from the Angelic Doctor, who had learned it from Aristotle. Aristotle defined three good forms of government and their 'evil twins'. Monarchy/tyranny, aristocracy/oligarchy, and polity or democracy/ochlocracy or 'mobocracy'. According to him, each 'good' form of government has a tendency to degenerate into its 'evil twin'. He posits that the form of government most likely to endure without degeneration is a 'mixed' government, containing elements of all three. This is sometimes referred to as a res publica mixta.
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