Although there are many oligarchies and democracies, yet
Socrates, when he is treating of the changes they may undergo, speaks
of them as if there was but one of each sort.
BOOK VI
CHAPTER I
We have already shown what is the nature of the supreme council in the
state, and wherein one may differ from another, and how the different
magistrates should be regulated; and also the judicial department, and
what is best suited to what state; and also to what causes both the
destruction and preservation of governments are owing.
As there are very many species of democracies, as well as of other
states, it will not be amiss to consider at the same time anything
which we may have omitted to mention concerning either of them, and to
allot to each that mode of conduct which is peculiar to and
advantageous for them; and also to inquire into the combinations of
all these different modes of government which we [1317a] have
mentioned; for as these are blended together the government is
altered, as from an aristocracy to be an oligarchy, and from a free
state to be a democracy. Now, I mean by those combinations of
government (which I ought to examine into, but have not yet done),
namely, whether the deliberative department and the election of
magistrates is regulated in a manner correspondent to an oligarchy, or
the judicial to an aristocracy, or the deliberative part only to an
oligarchy, and the election of magistrates to an aristocracy, or
whether, in any other manner, everything is not regulated according to
the nature of the government.
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