A political ideology combining aristocratic rule by the best people with republican principles, rejecting pure monarchy.
From Greek 'aristos' (best) + 'republic' (from Latin 'res publica', the public thing). This term emerged in Enlightenment political theory to describe hybrid government systems.
During the Enlightenment, philosophers imagined governments where the smartest, most virtuous people would run a republic—no kings needed, just the best of us!
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