Single Idea 2826

[catalogued under 24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 5. Democracy / a. Nature of democracy]

Full Idea

As a larger amount of water is less easily polluted, so the multitude is less easily corrupted than the few.

Gist of Idea

Like water, large numbers of people are harder to corrupt than a few

Source

Aristotle (Politics [c.332 BCE], 1286a30)

Book Reference

Aristotle: 'Politics', ed/tr. Sinclair,T.A. /Saunders,T. [Penguin 1992], p.222


A Reaction

This was before the arrival of modern mass media, starting with tabloid newspapers. When many people are corrupted, it is much harder for society to recover its sanity.