亚里士多德的最佳政体及中产阶级稳定性

Aristotle's Perfect State and the Stability of the Middle Class

亚里士多德在《政治学》中比较分析了不同类型的政体,并指出他所认为的最佳政体。经过对现实政治状况的理性分析,以及对中产阶级中庸特性的认可,亚里士多德将实现最佳政体的理想寄于以中产阶级为基础的共和制。然而,对于中产阶级的强大,亚里士多德并非盲目的乐观。一方面他清楚地认识到共和政体很难通过改良方式实现。贵族和平民两派都不会轻易放弃私利。因此,亚里士多德希望统治者能更多地顾及城邦的公共利益,妥协让步。另一方面亚里士多德强调教育是培育良好公民,以实现城邦至善公义的根本途径。

In ＂ Politics＂,Aristotle comparatively analysed different forms of government and indicated his ideal form of a perfect state.However,after a rational analysis of the real political situation and the characteristics of the middle class,Aristotle considered the best form of government a constitutional government ruled by the middle class.Aristotle was not blindly optimistic about this final result and the political strength of the middle class.He clearly recognized that the establishment of a constitutional government was difficult to achieve through political improvement because both nobility and common people did not want to easily give up their power and consider the interests of the middle class.Therefore,Aristotle hoped that the rulers would take into account the public interest of the state more than their individual interests.Aristotle wanted to persuade the rulers to compromise and make concessions to the middle class.In the end,Aristotle stressed that the goal of education is to cultivate good citizens as the fundamental way to achieve city-state goodness.