Editing Aristocracy (section)

== Concept ==
The concept evolved in [[ancient Greece]] in which a council of leading citizens was commonly empowered. That was contrasted with [[representative democracy]] in which a council of citizens was appointed as the "senate" of a [[city state]] or other political unit. The [[Greeks]] did not like the concept of monarchy, and as their democratic system fell, aristocracy was upheld.<ref name="OED"/>

According to [[Tomás Fernández de Medrano]], a [[Justice|just]] and [[Virtue|virtuous]] form of [[republic]] is known as ''aristocracy'', meaning the rule of the most virtuous, referred to in [[Latin]] as [[Optimates and populares|''Optimates'']]  because they are regarded as [[good]] and [[Honour|honorable]].<ref name=":0" /> In his 1602 political treatise ''[[República Mista]]'', Medrano explains how this system arises when a select group of men, distinguished by their virtue, [[morality]], and [[wisdom]], hold [[authority]] over the rest—whether broadly or in specific matters—governing solely for the benefit and welfare of the public. A prime example of this was seen in [[Sparta]], whose exceptional governance allowed it to dominate Greece for nearly five centuries.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Medrano |first=Juan Fernandez de |url=https://books.google.ca/books/about/Rep%C3%BAblica_Mista.html?id=DJ7Uw6xczpEC&redir_esc=y |title=República Mista |date=1602 |publisher=Impr. Real |language=es}}</ref>

[[Plato|Plato's]] concept of aristocracy envisions an ideal state governed by a [[Philosopher king|philosopher-king]]—a ruler who possesses wisdom and a love for [[truth]]. He defines these "philosopher-kings" as individuals who "love the sight of truth."<ref>Plato, ''Republic'' 475c, Vol. 5</ref> To illustrate this idea, Plato uses analogies such as a captain steering a ship and a doctor administering medicine, emphasizing that just as not everyone is naturally suited to navigation or medicine, not everyone is fit to govern. A significant portion of the ''[[Republic (Plato)|Republic]]'' is then dedicated to outlining the educational system necessary to cultivate philosopher-kings.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Plato: The Republic {{!}} Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy |url=https://iep.utm.edu/republic/ |access-date=2025-03-16 |language=en-US}}</ref>

In contrast, the 1651 book ''[[Leviathan (Hobbes book)|Leviathan]]'' by [[Thomas Hobbes]] describes an aristocracy as a [[commonwealth]] in which the representative of the [[Citizenship|citizens]] is an assembly by part only. It is a system in which only a small part of the population represents the government; "certain men distinguished from the rest."<ref name="Hobbes2010">{{cite book |first=Thomas |last=Hobbes |author-link=Thomas Hobbes |title=Leviathan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FKLPStfcpjoC&pg=PA81 |date=1 January 2010 |publisher=Digireads.com Publishing |isbn=978-1-4209-3699-5 |page=81 |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref> 

Modern depictions of aristocracy tend to regard it not as the ancient Greek concept of rule by the best, but more as an [[oligarchy]] or [[plutocracy]]—rule by the few or the wealthy.{{citation needed|date=March 2015}}