A Summary of Aristotle's On Rhetoric, Book 1, Chapter 8

I wrote this for tonight's class discussion, but I thought it might be helpful to others so it's going to be my blog content for this date.

According to Aristotle, understanding various forms of government (constitutions) and the uses / advantages of each is essential to “the ability to persuade and give good advice,” and thus essential to rhetoric.

The four forms of constitution identified by Aristotle are:

• Democracy, or rule by the majority. (Ancient Greece operated under a democratic form of government, but this doesn’t mean that everyone had equal rights. Theoretically, all citizens were equal and equally qualified to participate in government, but women, slaves, resident foreigners and even undesirable free men were excluded.) Under democratic rule offices are distributed by lot, and the “end” or objective of democracy is freedom.
• Oligarchy, or rule by the minority. (To qualify, an individual must own a minimum of ratable property (that which is capable of being appraised, which serves to keep the number of the governing elite low.) Under oligarchic rule offices are distributed on the basis of ownership of property, and the end of oligarchy is wealth.
• Aristocracy, or rule by “best” individuals or small privileged class believed to be superior. (Only those with high birth, inherited wealth and an understanding of the culture are permitted to participate; the nouveau riche are not welcome.) Under aristocratic rule offices are distributed based on education that is “laid down by law,” and the ends of aristocracy are education and preserving legal traditions.
• Monarchy, or rule by a single person who is sovereign over all. (This form can be orderly or tyrannical, depending on the individual.) The end of monarchy is self-preservation.

A government’s central authority or decision-making element is separate from, but equally important to, its constitution, and therefore reflects the constitution’s objective. For example, the decision-making body in an oligarchic form of government will consist of the wealthiest members of its society.

Aristotle believed that each of the four forms of government produces a distinctive type of rhetorician, and that understanding an individual’s rhetoric is enhanced by understanding the form of government under which he lives. This was especially significant to him, because he believed that speech is driven by character: “…we believe the speaker through his being a certain kind of person….”