Since then we have said that there are three sorts of regular governments, and of these the best must necessarily be that which is administered by the best men (and this must be that which happens to have one man, or one family, or a number of persons excelling all the rest in virtue, who are able to govern and be governed in such a manner as will make life most agreeable, and we have already shown that the virtue of a good man and of a citizen in the most perfect government will be the same), it is evident, that in the same manner, and for those very qualities which would procure a man the character of good, any one would say, that the government of a state was a well-established aristocracy or kingdom; so that it will be found to be education and [1288b] morals that are almost the whole which go to make a good man, and the same qualities will make a good citizen or good king.
We have said that there are three kinds of proper government. Of these, the best must necessarily be governed by the best people. Such a government must have one man, one family, or several people whose virtue surpasses everyone else’s. These people must be able to govern and be governed in ways that make life most agreeable. We have already shown that, in the most perfect government, a good man and a good citizen share the same virtue. Clearly, then, the same qualities that earn a man a reputation for goodness also define a well-established aristocracy or monarchy. So education and [1288b] moral character account for almost everything that makes a good man. The same qualities make a good citizen or a good king.
These particulars being treated of, we will now proceed to consider what sort of government is best, how it naturally arises, and how it is established; for it is necessary to make a proper inquiry concerning this.
Having covered these details, we will now consider what kind of government is best. We will examine how it naturally arises and how it is established, because these questions require careful study.