On the Republic

Author: (Ancient Rome) Cicero
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: Essentially, Cicero was a thinker. His political thought was formed by combining the history and reality of Roman society with 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 need the state to coordinate relationships between people. 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 hope to share common interests." Cicero believed that the political systems of the state are generally divided into three types: monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy. However, these three single systems can easily degenerate into tyranny, oligarchy, and mob rule. Only by organically combining these three systems, taking their strengths, and blending them into a mixed system can the forces on all sides be restrained, balanced, and harmonized, thus maintaining social stability. Cicero believed that the Roman Republic was this ideal political system.