The Kyklos

The Kyklos is a term used by some classical Greek authors to describe what they saw as the political cycle of governments in a society. It was roughly based on the history of Greek city-states in the same period. The concept of "The Kyklos" is first elaborated in Plato's Republic, chapters VIII and IX. Polybius calls it the "anakyklosis". (1)

Overview of concept

In its simplest form, it looks like this: Monarchy turns into aristocracy, which turns into a classical republic, which turns into a democracy, which turns into a tyranny (in the Classical Greek sense of the word), which again turns into a monarchy and so on. There are often variations and steps skipped in the cycle, depending on the author who discusses it. The cycle is said to always end in tyranny.

Socrates

Socrates begins with the "Aristocratic State", and then “oligarchy comes next; this is not equally approved, and is a form of government which teems with evils: thirdly, democracy, which naturally follows oligarchy, although very different: and lastly comes tyranny, great and famous, which differs from them all, and is the fourth and worst disorder of a State.” (2)

Socrates states that the wheel of Kyklos turns as the character of the man turns. “For as the government is, such will be the man.” (3) As the character of the man changes, so does the state. The state is only the reflection of the parts that make it up. The whole cannot be different from the parts that make it up.

Historical Kyklos cycles

Athens started out as a Monarchy, moved to the reforms of Solon, then moved to pure Democracy that during the lifetime of Socrates turned into a tyranny back to a democracy, erupted into a tyranny and back again. There was constant civil war.

Rome "But any Roman standing on the Palatine Hill and overlooking the Eternal City would see that this city has once been part of a monarchy, then of an aristocratic republic, then of a democratic and finally a plutocratic republic followed by a military dictatorship (Julius Caesar), A Caesarian monarchy (Octavian), a barbarian kingdom, a hierocracy, a kingdom, etc. (4)

Aristotle

Aristotle remarks that a constitutional government shifts to democracy and an aristocracy to oligarchy, or to the opposite extremes, that is, aristocracy to democracy…” (6)

Aristotle remarks that “the final form of democracy is tyranny.” (7)

The only government not to suffer the kyklos for the longest time, Polybius mentioned, was the Spartan polity. Aristotle remarks that “the better the constitution is mixed, the more permanent it is.” (8)

References

1. Liberty or Equality, Erik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn, Christendom Press, Front Royal, Virginia, l993. pg 128.
2. Plato’s Republic, translated by B. Jowett, M.A., Vintage Books, NY. sec 544 pg 292.
3. Plato's Republic, sec 557, pg 311
4. Liberty or Equality, pg 162.
5. Liberty or Equality, pg 162
6. Aristotle, Politics, Loeb Classical Library, Vol 264, #1307a; pg 415.
7. Aristotle, Politics, #1312b; pg 453
8. Aristotle, Politics, #1297a; pg 339