REVOLUTION OR RULE OF LAW
By Nasir Khan

[This article first appeared in The Frontier Post on May 20, 2010]

Aristotle was born in 384 BC, in Stagira, near Macedonia. His father was the family physician of King Amyntas, grandfather of Alexander the Great. When he was 17 or maybe slightly younger, he was sent, by his father, to Athens to study at the Academy, the first university, established by Plato. Aristotle remained in the Academy for almost 20 years until the death of Plato in 347 BC. After the death of Plato, Aristotle left Athens, first for Asia Minor and then to return to his home in Macedonia where he had been summoned by King Phillip to establish a school for the children of the Macedonian ruling class. It was here that Aristotle met and taught Alexander the Great.

Aristotle returned to Athens later on and established a school of his own, a rival to the Platonic Academy that he called the Lyceum. In 323 BC Alexander the Great died and the government of Athens was overthrown by anti-Macedonian forces. Having had close connections with the Macedonian, Aristotle was brought up on the charges of impiety; Socrates was also executed on the same charge of impiety. Aristotle left Athens uttering the golden words “I would not allow Athenians committing the same sin twice against philosophy.” Aristotle wrote many books on various subjects, one of these is his famous book “Politics.” Politics is considered to be the first book on political science, which earned Aristotle the title “father of political science.” The book is fully based on his experience of the Greek society and his study of 158 constitutions of the past and his time.

In chapter 5 of the Politics, Aristotle discussed in detail causes and remedies of revolution. The causes counted by Aristotle are so realistic that one can predict occurring of revolution keeping in view that causes. One can better understand the political upheaval in Pakistan by using the yardstick provided by Aristotle. A Study of changes in the political system of Pakistan would reveal the interplay of these causes and the ingenuity of Aristotle. According to Aristotle every revolution has three major causes.

First is the feeling of inequality and injustice. Every government claims to be based on the principle of equality and justice but in reality they are not. Inequality is the major cause of revolution. Poverty, one of the inequalities, is the parent of all revolutions and crime, says Aristotle.

Second is the motive of revolutionaries; gaining pleasure and avoiding pain is the chief motive of every individual, which means that people launch revolution either to gain power and honour, or to avoid dishonour or loss.

Thirdly some events or occasion may also be a cause of revolution. For example quarrel or friction among high ranking government officials, corruption of government officials, election intrigues, lack of common spirit or disunity among citizens of a state.

The other causes counted by Aristotle are, when rich and poor classes are equal in number and the middle class is not present to neutralize friction. Middle class works like a shock absorber of a state which absorb friction between rich and poor. Violation of merit by government is also a cause of revolution. Failure on the part of government to exercise checks over the disloyal element of state that tries to infiltrate government ranks, is another cause.

The situation of cities is also a cause of revolution, when people of cities hold divergent views or lack common ideology or the cities are apart from one another - like East and West Pakistan. Another cause of revolution, in democracy, is demagogues who become so powerful to bring down the government and establish their tyranny. Government of oligarchy (government of rich) is destabilised by personal rivalries of oligarch.

Deviation from justice is the main cause of revolution in constitutional government. Aristotle was very much aware of the fact that revolution can’t be accomplished only by the feeling and motives of revolutionaries, but also needs some tools or tactics for success. These tools or tactics, used by the revolutionaries to make revolution effective, are force and fraud. Force is applied by the revolutionaries either at the start of revolution or after the success of revolution. Fraud is used in two ways: (a) sometimes people’s goodwill is sought by presenting beautiful picture of future and after revolution they are forced to obey. (b) Persuasion is used at the start of revolution and similarly after the revolution.

Aristotle also recommends, in detail, preventive measures of revolution. The important prevention against revolution is obedience of law. Rule of law is a bulwark against revolution. Nobody, high or low, should be allowed to violate law and must be punished even for minor violation of law. Government should not rely on the political device of deception for they have proved useless by experience. Government should treat citizens with respect, honour and equality. Government should create fear of enemy’s attack in the minds of its citizens in order to maintain unity among them.

Every state should have laws to control dissension/quarrel among high ranking officials of state, and the government should keep public away from the dissension of high ranking officials. Qualification of offices must not be violated at any cost and the offices be distributed purely on merit. Every state must have anti-corruption laws, which should be strictly applied against corrupt government officials. Government should give share to everyone in government. Highest government posts must go to the persons loyal to the constitution and also have administrative capacity.

Government should strengthen hand of the loyal citizens against the disloyal one. Young generation of a state must be educated, mentally and habitually, in the spirit of constitution so that they remain loyal to the constitution of state. The government must have an effective intelligence agency to keep watch on people. The last preventive measure is that good leader senses revolution in advance and takes corrective measures.

Reading of the causes of Aristotelian revolution provides insight to the reader into the present political scenario of Pakistan. Majority of the signs and symptoms mentioned by Aristotle are part of Pakistan’s everyday politics but still revolution is evasive. Is Aristotle incorrect in his analysis of revolution? Or something is missing from the ingredient of revolution that is hampering the introduction of revolution in Pakistan? Aristotle is indeed scientific in his analysis of revolution but the main ingredients that are missing are the wrong notion of justice generally popular among people and the leaders alike. The notion of justice prevalent in our society is that it is bad to suffer injustice but good to be unjust to others. Everybody likes others to follow law but he himself violates law with impunity. The second ingredient, the most important one, is the absence of revolutionary and sincere leadership to guide the nation to the true path of peace, prosperity and happiness. [Courtesy The Frontier Post]

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