Aristocracy is a form of government, which rule is established in through an internal struggle over who has the most status and influence over society and internal relations. Power is maintained by a hereditary elite, from a caste, class or family (dynasty or even some individuals). See Aristocracy (class)#History for the historical roots of the term.
Aristocracies have most often been hereditary plutocracies (see below), with a belief in their own superiority. They often include a monarch who although a member of the aristocracy, rules over it as well as over the rest of society.
The term "aristocracy" is derived from the Greek language aristokratia, meaning 'the rule of the best'.1
Comparison with other forms of government
As a government term, aristocracy can be compared with:
- autocracy - "rule by self-appointment", such as a dictator or absolute monarch.
- meritocracy - "rule by those who most deserve to rule". While this appears to be the same as the original meaning of "aristocracy", the term "meritocracy" has usually implied a much more fluid form of government in which one is, at most, considered "best" for life, but must continually prove one's "merit" in order to stay in power. This power is not passed on to descendants.
- plutocracy - "rule by the wealthy". In actual practice, aristocrats' wealth allows them to portray their own virtues as the "best" ones. Usually, this wealth is passed down through inheritance, and in countries like England may be kept intact through primogeniture, in which the oldest child (usually first male) inherits the bulk of the wealth and titles.
- oligarchy - "rule by the few". Whether an aristocracy is also an oligarchy depends entirely upon one's idea of what is a "few".
- monarchy - "rule by a single individual". Historically, the vast majority of monarchs have been aristocrats themselves. However, they have also been very often at odds with the rest of the aristocracy, since it was composed of their rivals. The struggle between a ruling dynastic family and the other aristocratic families in the same country has been a central theme of medieval history.
- democracy - "rule by the majority". Democracy and aristocracy are incompatible as forms of government due to the hereditary nature of power in an aristocratic system. An exception to this was the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, where a kind of "democracy of nobility" (szlachta) existed.
References
- ^ The Oxford Companion to British History, John Cannon (Editor), Oxford University Press, 1997, ISBN 9780198661764
