greek-politicsfeatured in 30 works

The Common Good

A government is 'correct' only when it rules for everyone's good — not the rulers' own.

The 'common advantage' (to koinēi sympheron) is Aristotle's test for legitimate government: rule for the shared benefit of all citizens is correct, while rule for the private gain of those in power is corrupt. He laid this out in the Politics (4th c. BCE), using it to sort the good regimes — kingship, aristocracy, and polity — from their deviant forms — tyranny, oligarchy, and democracy. It became the lasting standard for telling just rule apart from self-serving rule.

How it traveled

Histories
Thurii (Magna Graecia) · -425
explains
History of the Peloponnesian War
Athens · -400
explains
On the Peace with Sparta [attributed]
Athens · -390
applies
Against Alcibiades
Athens · -390
applies
Panegyricus
Athens · -380
explains
Republic
Athens · -375
explains
Plataicus
Athens · -373
applies
Archidamus
Athens · -366
explains
On the Peace
Athens · -355
explains
Areopagiticus
Athens · -355
applies
Hellenica
Athens · -354
explains
Cyropaedia
Athens · -354
applies
On Organization
Athens · -354
explains
Memorabilia
Athens · -354
explains
Agesilaus
Athens · -354
applies
On the Navy-Boards
Athens · -354
explains
Against Androtion
Athens · -354
explains
For the People of Megalopolis
Athens · -353
applies
Against Aristocrates
Athens · -353
explains
For the Liberty of the Rhodians
Athens · -351
explains
Exordia
Athens · -349
explains
Laws
Athens · -348
explains
To Philip
Athens · -346
explains
Second Philippic
Athens · -344
explains
On the False Embassy
Athens · -343
applies
On Halonnesus
Athens · -342
applies
Third Philippic
Athens · -341
explains
On the Chersonese
Athens · -341
applies
Panathenaicus
Athens · -339
explains
Antidosis
Athens · -338
explains

Key passages(20)

Aristotle, Politics 3.1279a↗explains

Politics · Aristotle