ABSTRACT
Albert Einstein, in a letter to a Rumanian friend Maurice
Solvine from Princeton U.S.A. on April 10, 1938, says: “A fashion rule each
age, without most people being able to see the tyrants that rule them” Although
man as Aristotle opines is a political animal who desires and longs to live in
a community with his species, he is the best of all the animals that rule and
guided by laws. In the same vein, man could be the worst of all animals when
there is anarchy. It is in the light of this that Aristotle opts for a
government that would be beneficial to the people. The researcher would make an
attempt to explain what a good government is, according to Aristotle, and also
analyze them in the light of the Nigerian situation.
The question: Who should rule? For what purpose? And what
is the best form of government are fundamental questions in Aristotle’s concept
of good government that this thesis intends to answer.
CHAPTER ONE
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF
THE STUDY
Government is ubiquitous, its rules and laws affect important
aspects of our lives, just as its actions and inactions determine, in very
significant ways, the quality of our existence. But although the activities a
governments have, for a long time, been fundamental to human existence, not
many people have a clear understanding of the foundations of government, particularly,
it’s nature, powers and the conditions for the appropriate performance of its function.1 Aristotle believes that for any
society to operate well, it must have a governing body. This has a practical
importance to our day-to-day life. If man was left without a stable government,
he would still be in a state of nature. It is to this effect that Aristotle
sought for the best form of government in his era. In our present day, most
people are advocating for democracy because they think it is the best system of
government. But in the time of Aristotle, he agitated for Aristocracy. He also
recommended a mixture or a combination of Aristocracy and democracy for a
balanced government.
Aristotle’s political thought on
government is very much relevant to the present day political situation. In
considering his thought on what constitutes a government, one sees that
everybody wants the type of government that would respect the people’s view. It
is the government that unifies the people and makes them know their limitations
in life and how to exercise their freedom. This research therefore is aimed at
looking critically on the concept of good government as propounded by Aristotle
and also to point out what is generally meant by the term ‘government’ from its
etymological point of description. It is also an attempt to discover whether
Nigeria has had a good government.
1.2 STATEMENT OF
THE PROBLEM
The government with all its complexity is a mirror reflecting
human nature with its multiple needs. Human nature is the foundation of
government or the act of government. Aristotle sees government through the same
nominal sense and agitates for the very best. He distinguishes a bad government
from a good one. The bad government according to him is that which does not
serve its aim of meeting the demands of the people and their common good while
a good government he says is that which serves the common good of the people or
the society. This compliments the Augustinian dictum that he who fights for the common good, fight for his own good’2
. Following this line of arguments, Echekwube maintained that the urge for
power and quick money has plunged Nigeria as a Country into untold hardship.
Arguing further, he remarked in strong terms that since independence in 1960,
Nigerians have had civilian governments, which were toppled by the military who
believed they had the magic wand to solve all our problems. Despite their
seemingly good intentions, the Army is composed of true Nigerians who have
connections with their immediate families, tribes and friends. While they have
opportunity to stay in office, they are advised to accumulate as much wealth as
possible for they may never pass through that way again. This attitude leads to
corruption at the expense of the governed3’.
The State, as seen by J. Maritain, is a moral entity with
rights as well as obligations to the citizens. He conceives the state as having
flesh and blood, instincts, he regards the state as an extension of the human
family good – the common good it is a work of reason, born out of the obscure
efforts of reason disengaged from instinct and implying essentially a rational
order4. In this regards, irresponsible demagogues ought not to be entrusted
with the responsibility of ensuring the survival of the state. In order that
morality and good governance be entrenched in the nation’s body polity, a
conscious coordination of activities of all concerned becomes a necessity;
stealing, corrupt acts and betrayal of each other will mar it.
Man is the best of all the animals when he is ruled or guided
by laws. In the same way, man could be the worst of all animals, when there is
anarchy. It is precisely this complex and organic nature of the society that
influenced Aristotle’s decision to opt for a government that would be
beneficial to the people. This poses a problem for Aristotle as regards the
type of government to be implemented. Among monarchy, Aristocracy and Democracy
Systems of government, his preference is for Aristocracy. Aristotle favoured
Aristocracy, because he want the few responsible people to govern and rule the
society to enthrone justice and equity for all. Now, the question that needs to
be asked is that, why are there still injustice in Aristocracy? Aristotle
answer; it is because man is naturally selfish, he always seek his own interest
first. Therefore we should not allow a man who is ruled by passion to govern.
Whoever governs is to be guided by rational principles.
Aristotle when confronted with the problem of who should
rule? He uncompromisingly state that the rulers should come from the middle class. But will the upper
class not influence them? Will the lower class not initiate revolutionary
campaign against them? These are problems that Aristotle did not tackle within
his politics which this research intends to look into.
1.3 PURPOSE OF
STUDY
As a result of the problem raised, this research is to
examine the nature of government. It is an attempt to explain what a good
government is according to Aristotle and also analyze them in the light of
Nigeria situation. Furthermore, this work will help to a great extent in
establishing the responsibilities of a government in any political society.
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE
OF STUDY
This work is a critical look into the essence, relevance and
nature of government in the philosophy of Aristotle. It is going to expose us
to the concept of good government in other philosophers too. This research will
be significant because it is going to expose us to the relevance and
application of good government in Aristotle. The significance of an essay of
this nature in this crucial time of Nigeria’s political history cannot be
over-emphasized. It will serve as the basis of ideas and reference point for aspirants
to political offices in Nigeria. This research is significant because it is
going to show us the risk and dangers in Aristotle’s concept of good
government. It is hoped that this essay would promote a better
understanding of the foundations of social order and stimulate debate on the
nature and purpose of government.
1.5 SCOPE OF STUDY
The researcher’s scope is going to be Aristotle’s view of
good government. The researcher however will limit himself to whether Nigeria
has had a good government with special attention to the military regime to the
second and fourth republic. In addition, the first and the botched third
republics would also be given a cursory look and they will serve as reference
points. In doing this, a historical background of Nigeria political system will
help a great deal in the analysis of the basic issues that this study is
principally out to address: good government in Aristotle.
1.6 METHODOLOGY
The methodology will be largely analytic and evaluative. In
the light of this, the methodology will rely extensively on books, newspaper,
Articles and unpublished materials, the primary materials that would be used
for this essay are some of the works of Aristotle, also to be consulted are
books on political sciences, philosophical books, paper presented at various
political conferences and lecture notes. Thus this essay shall be divided into
five chapters.
Chapter one is mainly on the General
introduction to the essay. In this, I shall give the background of study,
statement of the problem, purpose of study, significance of study, scope of
study, methodology and a short biography of Aristotle. Chapter two will be the
literature review where books on this thesis will be review. Chapter three
focuses on the nature of government from the etymological point of view. Here
the nature of government would be discussed in general with particular
reference to the three arms of government. The essence of governance, the
origin of government, essence and purpose of government will also be discussed.
Chapter four deals with the most important aspect of this
thesis, what Aristotle regards as a good government. This is not to say that
only the thoughts of Aristotle would be discussed here but also other topics in
relation to what constitute a good government would be discussed too. Kinds of
government, the composition of government shall be discussed here. Chapter five
which consists of the evaluation and conclusion shall critically X-ray
governance; the Nigerian Experience tip toeing into the forms of government in
Nigerian political history with particular attention to the civilian, military
and interim governments. Also, the critique of Aristotle’s concept of good
government will also be looked into and finally the conclusion of the work.
Aristotle was born in 384B.C. at Stageira, a Greek colony in
the Macedonian Coast. His father Nicomachus was a physician to the King of
Macedon. His father died when he was young. In 367B.C., at the age of
seventeen, Aristotle went to Athens to study in Plato’s academy and he stayed
there for twenty years until the death of Plato, after the death of Plato, he
left Athens and was engage in marine biological research at various places on the
coast and island of Asia minor for few years. In 343BC, he became a tutor to
the son of the King of Macedon (Alexander) who was thirteen years old. He
taught his student ethics, politics and some ideas of geography of Asia. This
young man he taught later became Alexander the Great. He also wrote for him a
treatise on the art of ruling.
The most prominent thing is that when Aristotle was fifty
years old, he went back to Athens and established his own school at Lyceum. He
died in 322B.C. at the age of sixty-two. He was a philosopher, a scientific
observer of men and was well known in the Mediterranean world. Aristotle wrote
so many books while he was alive, and there are some of his works which are
still useful till date. The politics, the ethics, the Nicomachean ethics,
poetics, metaphysics, logic, physics, Biology and psychology. It is worthwhile
to note that he had keen interest in the area of politics because he wanted a good and
just government to exist in his lifetime.
WORKS OF ARISTOTLE
Aristotle’s own writing falls under two groups, the treatise
and the literary. The treatise probably refers to the corpus of
closely two doctrine of Aristotle. The literary according to Lloyd
contains falsehood for general consumption5. These are consistency with Aristotle’s own usage of the world “exotic”. He further
stated that:
In the most exoteric work after the treatise chiefly in being
non technical composition written for wide technical composition written for
wide documentation, the force of the world exoteric itself maybe that they were
more readily available to the general public outside the immediate write of
Aristotle pupil.6
The treatise are comprised of the following:
(1) “The Organ on (2) Treatise on the Philosophy of nature
(3) Treatise on Psychology (4) The Biological works (5) First Philosophy (6) The ethical treatise (7) The treatise on the
act of speaking and writing”.7 Apart from the written works, which
he authored, he also found a school called Lyceum after he left Plato’s academy.
Aristotle at the age of 17 became a student of Plato at the
academy where he was admitted to study. As a student, he performed excellently
well. He distinguished himself as a great intellectual and enwisdomized
intellectual, reputed as being “the ‘reader’ and ‘mind’ of the school”.8 Plato
once spoke of him as the Nous of the academy as if to say intelligence
personified9. Aristotle was colossally influenced by Plato; even though he
eventually broke away from Plato’s philosophical problems. While at his academy
he wrote many dialogue in platonic styles which his contemporary praised for
‘gold stream’ of the eloquence and he eventually reaffirmed in his ‘Eudemus’,
the very doctrine of the forms or ideas which he later criticized so severely.10
We may draw inference also from the fact that since
philosophy and science existed before Aristotle he may as well have been
influenced by such pre-Aristotelian ideas. According to Renan, “Socrates gave
philosophy to mankind and Aristotle gave it to science”. Aristotle was the
first to make the attempt at providing natural explanation of the cosmic
complexities and mysterious events. However, it would also be interesting to
note that very prominent and erudite scholars like Anaximanes, Socrates etc. made up boundless list that influence
Aristotle and his works, but did Aristotle swallow all their thought whole and
entire? No, rather, he reflected on them and made them as if they were a
springboard for his career in philosophy.
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