Aristocracy

The new aristocracy was made up for the most part of bureaucrats, scientists… and professional politicians. These people, whose origins lay in the salaried middle class… had been shaped and brought together by the barren world of monopoly industry and centralized government. (Orwell, 281)

Aristocracy, the rule of a few well suited individuals, is a historically important and controversial form of government. As a sort of middle ground between monarchy and democracy, aristocracy is a very unique way of ruling. As opposed to one person being the undisputed king or ruler, the responsibility is split up in a group of educated individuals. However unlike a republic, citizens don’t get to elect these leaders or decide whether or not to keep them in power. While it’s impractical in the majority of today’s societies, aristocracy was an incredibly important stepping stone towards fair government, helping us achieve democracy and other modern policies.

Aristocracy has a rich and important history as a revolutionary form of government. It was one of the earliest governments to move power away from a single ruler. In its definition, aristocracy was meant to be the rule of well suited individuals. Differing opinions within the group of rulers pushed towards an early way of working together and compromising on laws and policies. This pushed future societies closer to democracy/republicanism. Group decision making opened the door to leaders accepting other people’s opinions and working together. It also taught how to share power and not preserve it all for one person. On the other hand, many people judge this form of government as unfair and biased, and for good reason. Most aristocrats were extremely rich had been rich their entire lives. Many...

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... or just a way for the rich and powerful to get more rich and powerful? The answer will vary from person to person but its affect on history will remain evidence to its importance.

Works Cited

Dickens, Charles, Hablot Knight Browne, and Frederick Barnard. A Tale of Two Cities. New York: Dodd, Mead, 1942. Print.

Harris, Raymond, and Edgar Allan Poe. The Masque of the Red Death. Providence, RI: Jamestown, 1982. Print.

Orwell, George, and Erich Fromm. 1984: A Novel. New York, NY: Signet Classic, 1961. Print.

Platt, Len. Aristocracies of Fiction: The Idea of Aristocracy in Late-nineteenth-century and Early-twentieth-century Literary Culture. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2001. Print.

Starr, Chester G. The Aristocratic Temper of Greek Civilization. New York: Oxford UP, 1992. Print.

Wasson, Ellis. Aristocracy and the Modern World. N.p.: Palgrave Macmillion, 2006. Print.