The Tyrant and the Law in Aristotle’s Politic
Abstract
In the Politics, Aristotle defines tyranny as the worst of deviant constitutions. This judgment is primarily motivated by the absence of laws, which are replaced by the tyrant’s will. The first part of the essay is dedicated to the historical and theoretical background of Aristotle’s analysis, that is, to the debate of the fifth and fourth centuries in which the tyrant is constantly depicted as a danger to the city and its laws. This paper also highlights the ambiguity of the Athenian democracy, since the city is defined as a πόλις τύραννος towards its own allies by Athenian politicians themselves. Moreover, the essay analyzes the Politics passages where tyranny is described as a despotic regime, just because of the absence of laws. In this respect, the affinity of tyranny to other deviant constitutions, especially to extreme democracy, is illustrated. Finally, the complex relationship between tyranny and absolute monarchy is examined in depth.
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