Natural aristocracy

The natural aristocracy is a concept developed by Thomas Jefferson in 1813 which describes a political elite that derives its power from talent and virtue (or merit). He distinguishes this from traditional aristocracies, which he refers to as the artificial aristocracy, a ruling elite that derives its power solely from inherited status, or wealth and birth. Jefferson considers the natural aristocracy to be superior to the artificial aristocracy, and he believes the ideal ruler must come from the natural aristocracy. The natural aristocracy has been interpreted as being related to the concept of meritocracy.

Similar conceptions were developed in Ancient Greece, where both Plato and Aristotle advocated a form of government where only the wisest should rule.

The concept originated in 1813 during a correspondence between Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, who were both friends but also political rivals who held conflicting views on the proper role of government. Jefferson founded the liberal and populist Democratic-Republican Party, while Adams was a member of the conservative Federalist Party, which favored the interests of wealthy merchants and bankers and advocated for a more powerful national government. The two men were having a debate regarding the nature of aristocracy. Both despised the hereditary nobility found in traditional European monarchies, but they also agreed that there exists a naturally superior elite of people who are the most worthy to rule society. Adams believed the best rulers have great wealth, birth, genius, virtue, and beauty. He justifies this claim by arguing that people throughout history have always preferred these traits.

Jefferson agrees with Adams that only the best people should rule society, but he makes a distinction between rulers who belong to the natural aristocracy and rulers who belong to the artificial aristocracy. According to Jefferson, members of the natural aristocracy possess virtue and talents, while members of the artificial aristocracy only possess wealth and birth. He considers members of the natural aristocracy to be the most ideal rulers, and he believes the talents of a natural aristocrat can improve over time:

I agree with you that there is a natural aristocracy among men. The grounds of this are virtue and talents. Formerly bodily powers gave place among the aristoi. But since the invention of gunpowder has armed the weak as well as the strong with missile death, bodily strength, like beauty, good humor, politeness and other accomplishments, has become but an auxiliary ground of distinction. There is also an artificial aristocracy founded on wealth and birth, without either virtue or talents; for with these it would belong to the first class. The natural aristocracy I consider as the most precious gift of nature for the instruction, the trusts, and government of society.

Jefferson suggests that God created the natural aristocracy, and that the best governments allow the best men to rule:

And indeed it would have been inconsistent in creation to have formed man for the social state, and not to have provided virtue and wisdom enough to manage the concerns of the society. May we not even say that that form of government is the best which provides the most effectually for a pure selection of these natural aristoi into the offices of government? The artificial aristocracy is a mischievous ingredient in government, and provision should be made to prevent its ascendancy.

However, Adams argued that natural aristocracy corrupts into artificial aristocracy, stating: