Before revision: Forms Plato in his book The Republic (375 BC) divided governments into five basic types (four being existing forms and one being Plato's ideal form, which exists "only in speech"): Aristocracy (rule by law and order, like ideal traditional "benevolent" kingdoms that are not tyrannical) Democracy (rule by pure liberty and equality, like a free citizen) Oligarchy (rule by wealth and market-based-ethics, like a free-trading capitalist state) Timocracy (rule by honor and duty, like a "benevolent" military; Sparta as an example) Tyranny (rule by fear, like a despot) These five regimes progressively degenerate starting with aristocracy at the top and tyranny at the bottom.
After revision: Forms Plato in his book The Republic (375 BC) divided governments into five basic types (four being existing forms and one being Plato's ideal form, which exists "only in speech"): Aristocracy (rule by law and order, like ideal traditional "benevolent" kingdoms that are not tyrannical) Democracy (rule by pure liberty and equality, like a free citizen) Oligarchy (rule by wealth and market-based-ethics, like a laissez-faire capitalist state) Timocracy (rule by honor and duty, like a "benevolent" military; Sparta as an example) Tyranny (rule by fear, like a despot) These five regimes progressively degenerate starting with aristocracy at the top and tyranny at the bottom.