Kakistocracy
Kakistokratie referred to in political science , a rule of the worst .
etymology
The foreign word is derived from the Greek κάκιστος (kákistos = worst), the superlative of Greek κακός (kakós = bad), and Greek κρατία ( kratia = rule). Originally the term was used as an antonym for aristocracy , the rule of the best .
History and use
First use is unknown. However, the term can be traced back to the second half of the 18th century. In 1783 August Ludwig von Schlözer published a translation of a publication from 1782 on the "Dutch Kakistocracy". In his epigram , Abraham Gotthelf Kästner set memorial rhymes to keep four forms of government, the Kakistocracy even being the fourth next to the actual forms of government :
"They scold aristocrats,
And swear hatred of the monarchy,
They too, the democrats, felt
Robespierre'n's kakistocracy."
Even Christoph Martin Wieland saw in the French Revolution, the risk of Kakistokratie.
The term experienced a resurgence with the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States and the composition of his cabinet.
Individual evidence
- ↑ August Ludwig von Schlözer: Dutch Kakistocracy. In: Stats Ads. Volume 4, 1783, pp. 123–140 ( digitized version )
- ↑ Abraham Gotthelf Kaestner, Karl Wilhelm Justi: Partly still unprinted epistles and ideas. Volume 2, digitized
- ↑ Christoph Martin Wieland: Reflections on Mr. Condorcet's explanation of what a farmer and manual worker is in France. In: Der Neue Deutsche Merkur from 1792. Volume 2, 1792, p. 43 ( digitized version )
- ↑ Michael Lewitt: Investing In A Kakistocracy. In: Forbes. October 13, 2016. Retrieved January 29, 2017 .
- ↑ Ryan Lizza: Donald Trump's First, Alarming Week as President-Elect. In: The New Yorker. November 16, 2016. Retrieved January 29, 2017 .
- ^ Aasif Mandvi: The Trump Tweets I Want to Read. In: The New York Times. December 3, 2016, accessed January 29, 2017 .