Aristotle stated, “Every state is a community of some kind, and every community is established with a view to some good, but if all communities aim at some good, the state or political community, which is the highest of all, and which embraces all the rest, aims at good in a greater degree than any other.” Aristotle discussed the distinction between democracy and oligarchy, and which government he desired the most. He also explored the duties and obligations of citizens to their government and vice versa. Aristotle discussed the notions of “just” and “unjust” and how laws affected them.

According to Aristotle, there were three true forms of government: monarchy, aristocracy, and constitutional republic. The perverted forms of these were tyranny, oligarchy, and democracy. The difference between the last two was not that democracy was a governme

The government has the duty and obligation to protect, provide education, transportation, and necessities to its citizens. The state must be self-sufficient in order to provide for its citizens. If a citizen could not provide for himself, then it became the duty of the state to provide for him. If the state did not provide for the citizen, then laws would be broken. The state needed to provide these things in order to maintain control over its people. When man entered society, he relinquished his right to vengeance among other rights to the state. The state is left responsible for protecting the interests of the citizens. Aristotle believed that all citizens should be educated, and the state should regulate the education. Man was born without knowledge; therefore, it was necessary to teach him early to be loyal to his government. The state was also responsible for making sure citizens strictly obeyed the laws to maintain control. If not, citizens would begin to break more laws. At the same time, the state must be willing to bend a little when citizens feel a law is unjust. This will give the illusion that the state is acting in the citizen’s best interest.

A government was nothing without their citizens, and citizens were nothing without their government.

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