Abstract

According to Aristotle, tyranny is obviously the worst of all possible régimes. For several reasons we may assume this to be his wellconsidered judgment. And still, while coming to grips with the problem of how to secure political régimes, the philosopher does not hesitate to provide tyrants with a vast variety of appropriate means in order toenlarge and consolidate their authority beyond the usual expectations. This paradoxical attitude needs fiirther explanation and in fact many suggestions have been submitted. Although these reasons are not always sufficient and conclusive for Aristotle, they posit in a certain manner in which way even those who are deprived of any political rights may sustain in seeming goodwill a typically bad and distorted régime. To some extent this embarrassing situation is comparable to present day parliamentary systems of representative democracy, insofar as our political parties' primary interest is focussed on assuming and exercising power