ARISTOTELIAN CONCEPT OF GOOD GOVERNMENT

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 Aristotles concept of good government that this thesis intends to answer

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE i

CERTIFICATION ii

APPROVAL iii

DEDICATION iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS v

ABSTRACT vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS vii

CHAPTER ONE 1

1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1

1 1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY 1

1 2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM 2

1 3 PURPOSE OF STUDY 5

1 4 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY 5

1 5 SCOPE OF STUDY 6

1 6 METHODOLOGY 6

1 7 LIFE AND WORKS OF ARISTOTLE 8

1 8 INFLUENCE ON ARISTOTLE 10

END NOTES 12

CHAPTER TWO 13

2 1 LITERATURE REVIEW 13

ENDNOTES 30

CHAPTER THREE 32

3 NATURE OF GOVERNMENT 32

3 1 ETYMOLOGICAL MEANING OF GOVERNMENT 32

3 2 ARMS OF GOVERNMENT 35

3 2 1 LEGISLATURE 36

3 2 2 EXECUTIVE 37

3 2 3 JUDICIARY 39

3 3 ORIGIN OF GOVERNMENT 40

3 4 THE ESSENCE OF GOVERNMENT 43

3 5 PURPOSE OF GOVERNMENT 45

END NOTES 47

CHAPTER FOUR 50

4 ARISTOTLES CONCEPT OF GOOD GOVERNMENT 50

4 1 THE NATURE OF GOVERNMENT IN ARISTOTLE 50

4 2 KINDS OF GOVERNMENT IN ARISTOTLE 52

4 2 1 MONARCHY 52

4 2 2 ARISTOCRACY 55

4 2 3 DEMOCRACY 57

4 3 ARISTOTLES CONCEPT OF GOOD GOVERNMENT 60

4 4 COMPOSITION OF GOVERNMENT 62

END NOTES 66

CHAPTER FIVE 69

5 EVALUATION AND CONCLUSION 69

5 1 APPLICATION OF ARISTOTLES GOOD GOVERNMENT

TO THE NIGERIAN EXPERIENCE 69

5 2 FORMS OF GOVERNMENT IN NIGERIAN POLITICAL

HISTORY 70

5 3 CRITIQUE OF ARISTOTLES CONCEPT OF GOOD

GOVERNMENT 83

5 4 CONCLUSION 86

END NOTES

BIBLIOGRAPHY

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE......i

CERTIFICATION .......................................................................... ii

APPROVAL........iii

DEDICATION .............................................................................. iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................... v

ABSTRACT ................................................................................. vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................... vii

CHAPTER ONE ............................................................................ 1

1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION .......................................................... 1

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY .............................................. 1

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM ............................................ 2

1.3 PURPOSE OF STUDY ................................................................. 5

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY ........................................................ 5

1.5 SCOPE OF STUDY ....................................................................... 6

1.6 METHODOLOGY .......................................................................... 6

1.7 LIFE AND WORKS OF ARISTOTLE ......................................... 8

1.8 INFLUENCE ON ARISTOTLE .................................................. 10

END NOTES .............................................................................. 12

CHAPTER TWO ........................................................................ 13

2.1 LITERATURE REVIEW.............................................................. 13

ENDNOTES ............................................................................... 30

CHAPTER THREE .................................................................... 32

3. NATURE OF GOVERNMENT ...................................................... 32

viii

3.1 ETYMOLOGICAL MEANING OF GOVERNMENT ............... 32

3.2 ARMS OF GOVERNMENT ........................................................ 35

3.2.1 LEGISLATURE ....................................................................... 36

3.2.2 EXECUTIVE ............................................................................ 37

3.2.3 JUDICIARY ............................................................................. 39

3.3 ORIGIN OF GOVERNMENT ..................................................... 40

3.4 THE ESSENCE OF GOVERNMENT ...................................... 43

3.5 PURPOSE OF GOVERNMENT ................................................ 45

END NOTES .............................................................................. 47

CHAPTER FOUR ...................................................................... 50

4. ARISTOTLES CONCEPT OF GOOD GOVERNMENT ........... 50

4.1 THE NATURE OF GOVERNMENT IN ARISTOTLE ............ 50

4.2 KINDS OF GOVERNMENT IN ARISTOTLE .......................... 52

4.2.1 MONARCHY ............................................................................. 52

4.2.2 ARISTOCRACY ....................................................................... 55

4.2.3 DEMOCRACY....57

4.3 ARISTOTLES CONCEPT OF GOOD GOVERNMENT ....... 60

4.4 COMPOSITION OF GOVERNMENT .......................................... 62

END NOTES .............................................................................. 66

CHAPTER FIVE ........................................................................ 69

5. EVALUATION AND CONCLUSION ............................................ 69

5.1 APPLICATION OF ARISTOTLES GOOD GOVERNMENT

TO THE NIGERIAN EXPERIENCE.................................................... 69

ix

5.2 FORMS OF GOVERNMENT IN NIGERIAN POLITICAL

HISTORY ................................................................................................. 70

5.3 CRITIQUE OF ARISTOTLES CONCEPT OF GOOD

GOVERNMENT ...................................................................................... 83

5.4 CONCLUSION ............................................................................. 86

END NOTES .............................................................................. 89

BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................ 9