Question

According to Aristotle, what can cause the rise of a demagogue or a government that acts in its own self-interest?

a. If the government is a monarchy, then that leads to demagogues or dictatorships.
b. If certain individuals are exempt from the law, then that will lead to demagogues or dictatorships.
c. If the government is not set up as a democracy, then that will lead to demagogues or dictatorships.
d. If the government does not have separation of powers, then that leads to demagogues or dictatorships.

Answer 1

Aristotle believed that the rise of demagogues is caused by a lack of rule of law, where certain individuals are exempt, leading to self-interested governance.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to Aristotle, the rise of a demagogue or a government that acts in its own self-interest can be caused by a situation where certain individuals are exempt from the law, which leads to demagogues or dictatorships. Aristotle and his teacher Plato were concerned that any form of government, whether monarchy, aristocracy, or democracy, could become corrupt if the rulers started to serve their own interests rather than those of the community. In Aristotle's view, when the laws are not sovereign and individuals or groups take control without being held accountable to legal standards, it sets the stage for the emergence of self-interested rulers and the undue influence of demagogues.