In theory, the aristocracy is very different from the descriptions in history. Two famous Greek philosophers, Aristotle and Plato, actually developed the idea of the aristocracy. According to their concept, the aristocrat is a representative of the most capable part of the population, who is responsible for all his actions and should be part of the government, but this was contrary to the Greek democracy of that time. In practice, some difficulties arose in the implementation of an aristocratic form of government. Basically, due to the inability to determine who is most suitable for these purposes.
History of occurrence
The idea of the aristocracy has spread widely throughout the world. Most governments have decided that the only way to determine if a person is able to control is to look at his family tree. An aristocrat is one whose parents were successful, wealthy and famous. It was believed that such a person would have more privileges and excellent leadership qualities. This went on for generations, regardless of the effectiveness of such an idea. In the end, this led to the emergence of royal families, and the term "aristocracy" became directly related to the idea of the monarchy.
There were other aristocrats who did not have deep genealogical roots. In some countries, status was directly based on things such as land ownership or wealth, regardless of origin. In others, this could be due to religious factors. Sometimes a number of such components allowed a person to become an aristocrat in some countries.
What is an aristocratic style?
The aristocracy is as old as humanity. Ancient Greek philosophers recognized the importance of certain persons, their superiority and set the standard for behavior. They had to maintain a certain distance from other people, so as not to be under any influence in their quest for ideal.
An aristocratic style is basically a desire to become an ideal in physical terms, but this is rarely achieved. Sometimes it is a military, political, cultural career, but always impeccable.
Humanity needs ideals. Creating them is the work of an aristocrat who is a civilized man, an elegant man, a brave personality. An aristocrat is an ideal person who does not feel bound by universal norms of behavior and is often eccentric, but in reality his life is significantly different.
Elements of aristocracy:
- education;
- responsibility;
- wealth;
- taste;
- style;
- idleness.
Top-class wealth, idleness and responsibility
In the discussion of idleness of the upper class, they inevitably turn to the question of work in the generally accepted sense.
The truth is that a true aristocracy has never been an idle class. Her responsible task was to educate citizens, to ensure law and order. This distinguishes aristocrats from the bourgeois. The former take pleasure and pride from their activities, and the bourgeois work to simply make money that you can spend in your free time. An aristocrat is a person who values his life as a benefit to society, so it becomes not so much a labor as a ritual.
Idleness was in vogue during the Renaissance among merchants and petty nobles who wanted to strengthen their power and show that they did not need to earn a living. This is practiced to date.
Money seems to create an elite. There are stories of people who wanted to be part of the elite and used material wealth as a pass to the high society.
Money really is a means to an end. They provide access to certain benefits, such as education and quality goods and services. But you can become an elite, and without having huge resources.
Perfection of an aristocrat consists of good manners, education and style of dress. Money helps to acquire these things, but they do not guarantee aristocracy.
Aristocratic education
Education really defines an aristocrat in society. For the upper world, education is an essential element and affects the right to enter this society even more than money. The aristocrat of the spirit is that unique person who has become a part of the elite thanks to knowledge and talents.
Discussions on history, literature and politics replace aristocrats' discussions of sports news and television programs. Knowing the subtle aspects of the development of many civilizations in conversation replaces complaints about corrupt politicians and taxes. The aristocrat knows that the world is imperfect, and is not upset when problems arise. They are in pursuit of completely different - absolute knowledge. Aristocrat - who is it? With any form of training, extensive knowledge is required from him:
- Mastering the teachings of the great Greek philosophers, knowledge of key movements, philosophical schools. In addition, an understanding of Judaism, Christianity, Islam and a basic understanding of Buddhist teachings. This is combined with a knowledge of Satanism, paganism, occultism.
- Thorough knowledge of the native language, knowledge of spoken French, German, Italian and Spanish (this is at least), as well as Latin and a little Greek.
- Adequate study of mathematics, the foundations of algebra and geometry.
- Absolute knowledge of the history of the ancient and medieval periods, the times of the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, the Victorian and the modern era and their characteristic features.
- Knowledge of the literature of each historical period. Language is a more worthy native of culture than film.
Aristocrats should learn music, singing, playing a musical instrument, understand the classical and other areas of music, including jazz and big bands, have basic knowledge in the field of rock and roll.
Refined taste or snobbery
The word "snobbery" has always been associated with the upper class, having a good taste, which is an element of education. Good taste is often confused with snobbery. In fact, this word has the meaning of "without the nobility."
A true aristocrat - what is it? The representative of the upper class is primarily characterized by the fact that, faced with the semi-chemical quality of an object of culture, food, drink, as well as with an unpleasant question or conversation, he will never show his attitude and express his standards. What makes a person refined is the ability to set an example, be patient and be content with little.
Aristocratic fashion
Fashion is the only strong form of non-verbal communication.
This is a means of showing respect for others. To be well-dressed, you must evaluate the society in which you live. Aristocrats know the importance of appearance in the world. Standards are their bread and butter, so they use them - this is fashion.
Today, men's clothing standards are the same as those set in the 20th century. There are many styles, so you can choose. An aristocrat is a person who will not give up the canons of style so that he is not called eccentric. He knows how to dress for every occasion, so that it is pleasant and appropriate, and this is combined with dignity and manners.
"Bad" aristocracy
In many countries, in the end, the idea of the aristocracy really ceased to like. This happened mainly because there was generally no fair way to choose decent leaders or to make sure that the best people were at the head. The development of representative democracy is a kind of aristocracy only if the most capable leaders are chosen.
Theoretically, an aristocracy with unlimited power could work for a while. The only condition for this is that the elect should act in the interests of the masses.
In practice, corruption often seeps into a system where people have too much power without constraints and counterbalance, and this negates many of the potential benefits that an aristocrat should have. What is aristocracy? A relic of the past or the salvation of modern society? Everyone can decide this for themselves, based on facts, and not on speculation and prejudice.