SİYASAL DÜŞÜNCE

For Socrates, virtue was the most important value human beings should possess because virtue was a form of knowledge.  And only those who are the most virtuous should be in power of ruling.

Administration is an occupation, not a virtue.

According to Plato, Four elements affect the degeneration of the states: 1. disappearance of internal harmony of society, 2. violation of division of labor within the society, 3. emergence of economical class conflicts, and finally, 4. moral corruption and destruction of unity of the rulers. Democracy, however, is a chaotic atmosphere, for Plato; rather than being an order.

According to Aristotle, 

Monarchy is the government of a single person who aims the common good

Aristocracy is the government of a minority group who aims the common good

Tyranny is the government of a single person who targets the interests of single person

Oligarchy is the government of a minority group who aims the interests of the rich

Politeia is the government of the majority of the people which aims the common good

The originality of Polybius’ theory depended on his conception about the power relations of politics behind the scene. His claim for a mixed constitution, foresaw a check and balance system for the conflicting powers. According to him, the success of Roman constitution was to ensure this check and balance system. Polybius built his constitutional understanding on not the social classes but
 political forces
 and institutional
 balance. It can be
said that he pointed
 out the way for the 
modern constitutional
 separation of powers
 system.

Epicurus was a materialist philosopher, who followed Democritus. He developed an ethical philosophy, consistent with the materialist philosophy of nature.

All are true for Polybius.

All are true of Cicero except D.  He argued that egoism was against nature, therefore he was against the Epicurean views, which suggested giving up with social issues and searching for individual happiness.

Mercifulness is mentioned in the Roman stoicism.  It is suggested that a monarch should be merciful to his subjects. Otherwise his kingdom might be short.

Augustine was the scholar who located the universality of Christianity instead of universality of the Roman Empire.