Aristotle’s Theory of Moderation, Capital Accumulation and Electoral Violence in Developing Societies

Abstract

This paper sought to instigate a systematic application of Aristotle’s theory of the mean or moderation to an analysis of the electoral processes and outcomes in developing countries. The central objective was to relate Aristotle’s theory of moderation to the practice of democracy under dependent capitalism in Third World countries. It was an essentially qualitative study that depended on secondary sources for data collection and data analysis was historical, normative, exploratory, and interpretive. Aristotle’s theory of Moral Virtue served as the theoretical framework. A major finding was the pervasive trend of political leaders operating outside the parameters of democratic ethics. It arrived at the conclusion that the abdication of the normative virtue of self-restraint in the pursuit of power and wealth in underdeveloped economies often resulted in electoral violence and recommended that the ethical values that sustain democracy should be entrenched and strictly enforced in Third World democracies.