Anacyclosis
The cycle of governance forms, according to the Classical Greeks
Contextual Quote
“The initial human condition is characterized as savage, scattered, and insecure. Out of this disorder one man, of particular strength and boldness of character, establishes a hierarchical order, a kingship, with the consent of the governed. The king’s sons lack the virtue and restraint of the founder and degenerate into abusive tyranny, against which the leading citizens rebel and replace with an aristocracy. The next generation lacks the virtue and restraint of its predecessor and degenerates into an abusive oligarchy, inciting the mass of the people to rebel and establish a democracy. Against the virtues of moderation and restraint are lacking in the next generation, which degenerates into an ochlocracy (mob rule), which then sinks into savagery, thus returning to the beginning for the cycle to run again.”
- Polybius
Description
Anacyclosis Institute:
"The theory of anacyclosis (ἀνακύκλωσις in Greek) represents the culmination of ancient Greek political thought on the evolution of political communities. It is a “unified theory” of political history in that it attempts to explain the evolution and dissolution of all regime types, including democracy. The theory is most clearly and succinctly expressed in the writings of the historian Polybius, though many aspects of the theory were described by earlier thinkers such as Plato and Aristotle. Recognized by Machiavelli for its explanatory power, Polybius’ model was studied by the Founding Fathers of the United States and profoundly influenced their vision of the republic they were founding.
The word anacyclosis has been variously translated as “the cycle of political revolution” and “the cycle of the constitutions.” In short, the theory states that the six regime archetypes that the Greeks identified and which we still use today (monarchy, tyranny, aristocracy, oligarchy, democracy, and ochlocracy or mob-rule) each represent different stages of one long process of political evolution. There is good reason to think that Polybius and his predecessors arrived at this theory empirically. After observing the rise and fall of many hundreds of city-states, most of which cycled through several of the governmental forms mentioned above, Greek political thinkers concluded that these transitions from one form to another were not random. Rather, they seemed to follow simple and recognizable patterns. For example, tyrants were frequently overthrown by groups of aristocrats, while popular revolutions frequently overthrew oligarchies and ushered in democratic rule. Interestingly, the reverse of these trends (aristocracies being overthrown by tyrants or democracies turning into oligarchies) were statistically less likely to occur.
Through such observations, Polybius extrapolated the likely complete course of political evolution for an independent state whose lifecycle is not cut short by war or disaster. According to our interpretation of his model, the cycle proceeds as follows. Political communities are first ruled by kings. Kingship is eventually corrupted into tyranny. The last tyrant is deposed or forced to share power with an aristocracy. Aristocracy degenerates into an oppressive oligarchy. Occasionally, an independent middle economic stratum – a middle class – emerges; hoi mesoi in Aristotelian terms. If this middle class is entrenched, democracy emerges. In time, however, a plutocracy emerges, stratifying society between opulent and dependent. The hopes of the dependent masses fuel an intensifying competition among their political patrons, transforming democracy into mob-rule, perhaps better described as rule by demagogues. This tournament of demagogues rages among a narrowing field of popular leaders until a single champion arises victorious, dragging political society back to some form of monarchy, thus completing the cycle."
(https://anacyclosis.org/portfolio/what-is-anacyclosis/)
Typology
Adapted from pdf
Cycle of Five: pre-democratic
"The history of most states is confined to the events described above this line.
Most states in history have not advanced below this line because most states have not developed an independent middle class."
RULE BY THE STRONGEST
"When scarcity prevails and humanity struggles to survive, people submit to the power of the strongest man.
RULE BY KINGS
When the state attains security and stability, rulers derive authority from the approbation and loyalty of their subjects.
RULE BY TYRANTS
When kings or usurpers abuse the people and violate custom, kingship degenerates into an oppressive tyranny.
RULE BY THE NOBILITY
When the state’s leading men curtail tyranny and restore law and custom, tyranny is subdued by the aristocracy.
RULE BY THE WEALTHY
When the leading dynasties oppress their own citizens, aristocracy becomes an oppressive oligarchy or plutocracy.
Democratic Cycle
"Democracy is historically rare and when it emerges, it comes in waves, as was seen in Classical Antiquity and in the modern West.
Once democracy is entrenched in an autonomous state, the cycle will run its full course."
RULE BY THE MIDDLE CLASS
When a middle class obtains political rights for its military or fiscal contributions, alongside oligarchy emerges democracy.
PLUTOCRACY STRIKES BACK
When the state attains military supremacy, its plutocrats siphon the world’s wealth, plundering citizen and foreigner alike.
GAME OF DEMAGOGUES
When the state’s middle class collapses, the people rally behind demagogues who denounce plutocrats and foreigners.
RETURN OF THE MONARCH
The demagogue who ends the civil strife returns political society to some form of monarchy, thus completing the cycle."
(https://anacyclosis.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Anacyclosis-Flyer-November-2019.pdf)