Cicero - On the Republic

Author: Cicero (Ancient Rome)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-02-01
Features: In essence, Cicero was a thinker. His political thought was formed by integrating the history and reality of Roman society with various Greek schools of thought. In his work On the Commonwealth, he systematically elaborated on the theory of the state. He believed that the state was not a man-made product but gradually formed in the course of history, with its roots in the innate social nature of humans, who needed the state to coordinate relationships between individuals. He replaced the Greek concept of the polis with the concept of the republic, viewing the state as "the affair of the people" and a "collection of numerous people who jointly possess laws and rights, and desire to share common interests." Cicero believed that the general forms of state governance could be divided into three types: monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy. However, these three single forms could easily degenerate into tyranny, oligarchy, and mob rule. Only by organically combining these three forms, taking their strengths, and blending them into a mixed constitution could the forces on all sides be restrained, balanced, and harmonized, thereby maintaining social stability. Cicero considered the Roman Republic to be this ideal form of government.