Plato and Aristotle generally rank oligarchy over democracy. Plato did not "loathe" democracy, as Mr. Dunn claims. Plato believes that democracy with its laxity is more tolerant of philosophy than is oligarchy, which is harsher, less tolerant of vice but also of criticism. Plato's penetrating critique of democracy in "The Republic" is relevant today. He writes that the tendency for democratic diversity to descend into conformity as a consequence of the requirement of every democrat to become "diverse," just like everyone else. Aristotle says that man is by nature a political animal, but that there is no single regime by nature; there are several. Human beings are both equal and unequal to each other, and democracy, which appeals to our equality, is not always preferable to oligarchy, which is based on our inequalities. Aristotle appreciates the "good naturedness" of the multitude. He thinks that its various qualities can sometimes add up to more quality than can be had from one person or a few, and that the many judge better than the experts in the same way that the customer knows what he wants more than the cook. But on the whole, the best is one person or a few, and they are more often impeded than welcomed by democracy.
