On the Republic: A Classical Education

Author: Cicero (Ancient Rome)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-08-28
Features: Essentially, Cicero was a thinker. His political thought was a combination of Greek schools of thought, integrating the history and reality of Roman society. In his work The Republic, he systematically elaborated on the theory of the state. He believed that the state was not an artificial product but gradually formed in the course of history, with its roots in the natural social nature of humans, who need the state to coordinate relationships between people. He replaced the Greek concept of the polis with the idea of the republic, arguing that the state is "the affair of the people" and a "collection of numerous people who share common laws and rights, and aspire to share common benefits." Cicero believed that the general forms of state governance can be divided into three types: monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy. However, these three single forms of governance can easily degenerate into tyranny, oligarchy, and mob rule. Only by organically combining these three forms, taking their strengths and weaknesses, and blending them into a mixed form of governance can the forces on all sides be restrained, balanced, and harmonized, thus maintaining social stability. Cicero considered the Roman Republic to be this ideal form of governance.