Abstract

This dissertation offers an exposition of a most intriguing passage in the Aristotelian corpus, where Aristotle's most extended treatment of tyranny proves to be a two-fold account of the means of its preservation. Unfortunately, Politics V, 11 has been treated for the most part as little more than a catalogue of despicable tyrannical practices and of Aristotle's "kingly" countermeasures. A careful reading, however, reveals a multifaceted argument intended to educate philosophers, gentlemen, and tyrants towards understanding and embracing political rule. ;Aristotle reveals the precise philosophic limits of political and tyrannical rule, where at the edges they blur together. Furthermore he reveals the problematic character of uncultivated human nature for pursuing virtue as the end of politics: It proves in no politically reliable sense impelled towards virtue. ;If then citizens are to embrace virtue through political persuasion, their character must be cultivated. Aristotle takes advantage of this tyrannical context to educate ambitious and decent gentlemen, no less than tyrants, to reject and resist tyrannical rule and to embrace just political rule for their own respective advantages. Through his account of traditional tyranny he invites gentlemen to direct their own spiritedness against the full manifestation of spiritedness in the warmongering tyrant. Next he carefully channels the ambition and decency of gentlemen towards rejecting tyranny as base and contemptuous, and actively resisting tyranny as mortally threatening. Finally, Aristotle addresses tyrants, artfully earning their confidence in order to direct them to embrace justice as their own private advantage. In doing so he appeals to their desire for companionship and nobility of rule, without losing sight of the premium placed on security. ;In short, Aristotle educates philosophers, gentlemen, and tyrants to understand and embrace political rule, and offers a beaten path of excellence for others to imitate, should another find it prudent or necessary