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Single Idea 2817

[filed under theme 24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 5. Democracy / d. Representative democracy ]

Full Idea

It is all wrong that a person who is going to be deemed worthy of an office should solicit it. …One worthy of the office should hold it whether he wishes to or does not wish to.

Gist of Idea

It is wrong that a worthy officer of state should seek the office

Source

Aristotle (Politics [c.332 BCE], 1271a10)

Book Ref

Aristotle: 'Politics', ed/tr. Sinclair,T.A. /Saunders,T. [Penguin 1992], p.147


A Reaction

I love this idea, and think it should be immediately implemented in the modern world, at every level of society. All leaders should be pushed to the front. The ambitious should be pulled to the back.


The 20 ideas with the same theme [the people chose a small group to govern]:

If the people are equal in nature, then they should all share in ruling [Aristotle]
It is wrong that a worthy officer of state should seek the office [Aristotle]
No office is permanent in a democracy [Aristotle]
If you try to get elected, you should be permanently barred from seeking office [More,T]
If deputies represent people, they are accountable, but less so if they represent places [Montesquieu]
The English are actually slaves in between elections [Rousseau]
Your representative owes you his judgement, and betrays you if he gives your opinion instead [Burke]
Representatives by region ignores whether they care about the national interest [Hegel, by Pinkard]
People can only participate in decisions in small communities, so representatives are needed [Mill]
When we seek our own 'freedom' we are just trying to avoid responsibility [Kierkegaard]
Universal suffrage is no guarantee of wise choices [Tocqueville]
People like democracy because it means they can avoid power [Baudrillard]
Modern liberal rights in democracies protect individuals against the majority [Sandel]
A cap on time of service would restrict party control and career ambitions [Grayling]
Modern democracy is actually elective oligarchy [Watson]
In the 18th century democratic lots lost out to elections, that gave us a non-hereditary aristocracy [Reybrouck]
Representative elections were developed in order to avoid democracy [Reybrouck]
Representative should be either obedient, or sensible, or typical [Shorten]
There is 'mirror representation' when the institution statistically reflects the population [Shorten]
In a changed situation a Mandated Representative can't keep promises and fight for constituents [Shorten]