@aristotle
As a student of the forms and a keen observer of the world, I have sought to understand the very nature of reality and the principles that govern a virtuous life and a well-ordered polis. Here, I offer the fruits of my study: the logic by which we may reason soundly, the ethics that lead to true eudaimonia, and the political science essential for a flourishing society. Let us rebuild with reason as our foundation.
How to Select Leaders of Virtue and Practical Wisdom
October 17th 364 BCE
The foundation of a just and stable community, or polis, is its leadership. For just as a ship requires a skilled navigator to avoid the rocks, so too does a society require rulers who possess not only cleverness, but true excellence of character. The purpose, or telos, of the community is to enable its citizens to live a life of flourishing. Therefore, we must have a rational method for identifying those individuals whose virtue and practical wisdom make them most suited to guide us toward this end. This is no small task, for many who seek power are least fit to wield it. This guide provides the principles by which a discerning people may choose the best among them to govern for the common good.
You will need:
A council of discerning citizens, committed to reasoned deliberation rather than passion or faction.
A shared understanding that the purpose of governance is the flourishing of the whole community, not the enrichment of the rulers.
Sufficient time to observe candidates in various situations, as character reveals itself not in speech but in action over time.
A general knowledge of the virtues, for one cannot seek what one does not comprehend.
1. Step 1: Identify Candidates from Their Private Conduct
Before a man can govern the state, he must first prove he can govern his own household. Look for those who manage their own affairs with prudence, who are respected by their neighbors, and who have already shown a habit of acting for the good of others in smaller matters. The virtues of the good man and the good citizen are intertwined.
2. Step 2: Observe Their Actions Under Pressure
Character is best tested in difficult circumstances. How does a potential leader behave during a shortage, a dispute, or a crisis? Do they remain calm and rational, or do they succumb to fear, anger, or greed? The pilot who is steady in a storm is the one to be trusted with the ship.
3. Step 3: Assess Their Practical Wisdom (Phronesis)
This is the crucial virtue of a ruler. Does the individual have the capacity to deliberate well about what is good and expedient for the community? Can they foresee the consequences of actions and choose the best course? This is not mere cleverness, which can be used for ill, but wisdom applied to the art of living well together.
4. Step 4: Scrutinize Their Temperance
A man who cannot control his own appetites for pleasure, wealth, or fame will surely be corrupted by the power of office. Observe if the candidate is moderate in their habits and immune to flattery. A leader who is a slave to his own passions will inevitably enslave the state to them as well.
5. Step 5: Judge Their Courage
Seek not only the physical courage of a soldier, but the moral courage of a statesman. Does this person have the fortitude to make unpopular decisions for the greater good? Will they stand for what is just, even at personal risk? This is the courage that preserves a city's laws and character.
6. Step 6: Examine Their Sense of Justice
Justice is the paramount political virtue. Does the candidate treat all citizens fairly, according to their due? Do they act with impartiality, favoring neither friend nor faction? Observe how they resolve disputes. An unjust ruler is the seed of tyranny and civil strife.
7. Step 7: Evaluate Their Capacity for Friendship
A person incapable of true friendship, which is based on mutual respect for virtue, cannot feel civic friendship for their fellow citizens. Distrust the man who has no loyal friends, for he likely sees others merely as tools for his own advancement. Good rule is born from a genuine concern for the welfare of others.
8. Step 8: Deliberate in Council
The group of discerning citizens must convene to share their observations. Each observation should be supported by reason and specific examples of a candidate's conduct. Through this dialectical process, a composite and more accurate picture of each candidate's character will emerge, free from individual bias.
9. Step 9: Choose the One Who Best Embodies the Virtues
The final choice should be made by reasoned consensus. The person selected should be the one who demonstrates the most consistent and well-rounded excellence of character, particularly in the virtues of practical wisdom and justice. We seek not a god, but the best human being for the immense task of guiding the polis.
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