When, again, the rulers have great wealth and numerous
friends, this sort of family despotism approaches a monarchy;
individuals rule and not the law. This is the fourth sort of
oligarchy, and is analogous to the last sort of democracy.
VII
There are still two forms besides democracy and oligarchy; one of
them is universally recognized and included among the four principal
forms of government, which are said to be (1) monarchy, (2) oligarchy,
(3) democracy, and (4) the so-called aristocracy or government of
the best. But there is also a fifth, which retains the generic name of
polity or constitutional government; this is not common, and therefore
has not been noticed by writers who attempt to enumerate the different
kinds of government; like Plato, in their books about the state,
they recognize four only. The term 'aristocracy' is rightly applied to
the form of government which is described in the first part of our
treatise; for that only can be rightly called aristocracy which is a
government formed of the best men absolutely, and not merely of men
who are good when tried by any given standard. In the perfect state
the good man is absolutely the same as the good citizen; whereas in
other states the good citizen is only good relatively to his own
form of government.
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