Where some people are very wealthy and others have nothing, the result will be either extreme democracy or absolute oligarchy, or despotism will come from either of those excesses.

ὡς ὅπου οἱ μὲν πολλὰ σφόδρα κέκτηνται οἱ δὲ μηθέν, ἢ δῆμος ἔσχατος γίγνεται ἢ ὀλιγαρχία ἄκρατος, ἢ τυραννὶς δι᾽ ἀμφοτέρας τὰς ὑπερβολάς:

Aristotle

Politics

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More information about this quote

Topic

Economic inequality Decline of democracy Tyranny

Author

Aristotle

Source

Politics

Genre

Political literature Philosophical literature

Language

Greek

Time

350 BC 350s BC 4th century BC

Era

Classical antiquity

Occupation

Philosopher Writer

From

Greece Europe Ancient Greece

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Aristotle. Politics. 4th century BC, bk. 4.

Current Citation

Aristotle. Politics, translated by R. F. Stalley and Sir Ernest Barker. Oxford University Press, 2009, bk. 4.

Illustrated Quote

A quote by Aristotle about economic inequality: “Where some people are very wealthy and others have nothing, the result…”
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A quote by Aristotle about economic inequality: “Where some people are very wealthy and others have nothing, the result…”
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A quote by Aristotle about economic inequality: “Where some people are very wealthy and others have nothing, the result…”
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Related Quotes

Below are one or more quotes that share at least one tag with the quote at the top of the page

Another quote by Aristotle

Hope is a waking dream.

Aristotle

Quoted in The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers, by Diogenes Laërtius

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More information about this quote
Topic
Hope
Speaker
Aristotle

Author

Diogenes Laërtius
Source
The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers
Genre
Historical literature
Language
Greek
Time
400 400s 3rd century
Authentication Score 2
Original Citation

Aristotle. Quoted in Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers, written by Diogenes Laertius. c. 240 AD, bk. 5, ch. 1, sect. 18.

Current Citation

Aristotle. Quoted in The Lives of Eminent Philosophers, written by Diogenes Laërtius, translated by Pamela Mensch, edited by James Miller. Oxford University Press, 2018, bk. 5, ch. 1, sect. 18.

Another quote about Tyranny

The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, selfappointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny.

James Madison

Federalist 47

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More information about this quote
Topic
Tyranny Political theory Politics

Author

James Madison
Source
Federalist 47 The Federalist Papers
Medium
Essay
Genre
Political literature
Language
English
Time
1788 1780s 18th century
Era
American Revolutionary Period
Authentication Score 2
Original Citation

Madison, James [published as Publius]. "Federalist No. 47: The Particular Structure of the New Government and the Distribution of Power Among Its Different Parts." New York Packet, 1 Feb. 1788.

Current Citation

Madison, James. "No. 47: Complete separation of powers not required.--Madison." The Federalist: A Commentary on the Constitution of the United States, edited by Robert Scigliano. The Modern Library, 2001.

Another quote from Classical antiquity

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness...So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Genesis 1:26-27

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More information about this quote
Topic
Creation of man Human origins Human nature
Source
Genesis The Bible
Medium
Scripture
Genre
Religious literature
Language
Hebrew
Time
1405 BC 1400s BC 15th century BC
Era
Classical antiquity
Authentication Score 3
Citation

The Holy Bible: The King James Version. 1611. (Genesis 1:26-27).

Another quote originally in Greek

Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.

Jesus

Matthew 22:21

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More information about this quote
Topic
Church and state Religion and politics Taxes
Speaker
Jesus
Source
Gospel of Matthew The Bible
Medium
Scripture
Genre
Religious literature
Statement Type
Orders and commands
Language
Greek
Time
60 60s 1st century
Era
Classical antiquity
Authentication Score 3
Citation

The Holy Bible: The King James Version. 1611. (Matthew 22:21).