Analyzing the Thoughts of Aristotle and the Sophists about Good Government

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Associate Professor, Department of Law, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran

2 Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Law, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran

Abstract

Determining good government and explaining its most important components has always been one of the most important and challenging issues for lawyers, politicians and philosophers. Today, various definitions of good government have been presented, and in them, important indicators such as rule of law and equality of people have been mentioned. The criteria for determining good government have been one of the most important intellectual challenges of philosophers and sophists in the previous centuries, this conflict of views needs analysis. Aristotle believed in a mixed government in achieving good government, and in this regard, he considered the greatest degree of compliance with the civil nature of a person to be the most comprehensive condition for the continuation of good government; But on the other hand, despite the lack of a single point of view about good government in the thought of the sophists, they always emphasized the pluralistic interests of people and the maximum benefit of the available facilities. In this article, along with the detailed explanation of Aristotle's view on the division of governments and the determination of the desired type of government, the views of the sophists and their intellectual conflict with the philosophers have also been examined.

Keywords

References

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Journal of Philosophical Investigations
Volume 19, Issue 50 - Serial Number 20
Articles
2025
Pages 347-364

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