John Vespasian explains that Aristotle came up with the two key ideas of balanced governance, but history has done everything possible to wipe them out from people’s memory. Aristotle’s first principle of governance is that rulers should work for the common good. He didn’t exclude any government form (monarchy, aristocracy, polity) as long as the ruler (one, a few, every citizen) keeps the common good as top priority. This lesson seems easy and self-evident enough, so that it is never forgotten, right? You could not counter Aristotle’s advice credibly, right? Actually not. In the mid-eighteenth century, the writings of Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) created a vast confusion about the purpose of governance. The main concept in Rousseau’s political philosophy is the “general will” (“volonte generale” in French) as supreme guide of governmental decisions. In contrast to Aristotle, Rousseau is assuming that decisions taken by the majority will necessarily be good decisions. Aristotle knew better because he had a better understanding of human nature. He underlined that the goal of governance is to achieve the common good. Aristotle had focused on the common good but leaving each person free to pursue his dreams of success, wealth, happiness, and health. He knew by experience that humans differ widely in skills and motivation, and that one shouldn’t misuse politics to homogenise society and eliminate freedom. Oblivious to the lessons of history, Rousseau proposed the opposite. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/the-two-keys-in-aristotles-views-on-politics-and-governance/

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