Aristotle

Life, Legacy, and Times Aristotle’s father was court physician to Philip of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great. Aristotle studied under Plato and his thought shared Plato’s concern over form though in opposition to Plato, form was located in time and space. Political order is related to understanding the purpose and end of being a human being.

Life, Legacy, and Times - Continued Aristotle did not take over Plato’s Academy, but he started his own school, the Lycaeum. His teaching method, peripatetics, involved walking about and talking. Aristotle became Alexander the Great’s tutor though his philosophy focused on the polis and Alexander embraced the vision of a cosmopolis.

Life, Legacy, and Times - Continued With Alexander’s death, anti-Macedonian riots broke out in Athens, and Aristotle fled lest “Athens commit the same crime twice.” We have over 2,000 pages of writings attributed to Aristotle including his great book, Politics.

Background to Political Teachings Aristotle’s works are grounded in Greek traditions, and he acknowledged those with whom he disagreed in search of objective truth and validity. Aristotle advised us “to love Socrates, to love Plato, but to love the truth more. Aristotle’s political philosophy focused on the small-city state as the necessary arena for human excellences.

Problems of Politics and the State Do not expect to much certitude from political science since it is not like a theoretical science that cannot be otherwise. Ethics is the rule of ourselves over ourselves. Politics is concerned about the common good – the collective moral and intellectual flourishing of society. Aristotle’s ethical and political works are meant to be put into action.

Problems of Politics and the State - Continued Aristotle did not believe human nature varied radically from place to place but believed his philosophy was universally valid. Aristotle believed human beings are political animals and require the city to be “self-sufficient” and live “well.” Nature (physis) is the standard for Aristotle’s thought. This standard revealed the essences of things including human life.

What Is the Common Good? Perhaps the common good of the political community can be illustrated by an analogy of a rowboat that develops a leak. The common good of all is served by making decisions, combining resources, setting priorities to fix the leak before the boat sinks. The common good also dictates that anyone who attempts to undermine the enterprise must be prevented from doing so through coercion if necessary. (This is a view that both Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas share.)

Man Is a Political Animal, From Politics, Book I, Chapter 2 Now , that man is more of a political animal than bees or an other gregarious animals is evident. Nature, as we often say, makes nothing in vain, and man is the only animal whom she has endowed with the gift of speech… The power of speech is intended to set forth the expedient and inexpedient, and therefore likewise the just and the unjust. And it is a characteristic of man that he alone has any sense of good and evil, of just and unjust, and the like and the association of living beings who have this sense makes a family and a state.

Nature of Politics and the Role of the State Aristotle’s Ethics examines a human being’s capacity or incapacity for self-governance. Ethics requires us to rule ourselves by an objective standard of right and wrong. Human happiness and flourishing require a high level of physical security, stable family life, friendships, education, and the enterprise of politics.

Question for Reflection What is the American sense of the good life that is the basis of our regime and political organization of office? Does the American sense of the good life tend to promote or undermine the public interest?

Nature of Politics and the Role of the State - Continued Two Kinds of Slavery: Slaves by law – Anyone captured by war even if they had the capability to govern themselves could become a slave by law. Slaves by nature – A person lacking the capability of self-governance and requiring rule by others would be a slave by nature. Difficult, dirty, dangerous work necessary for society’s survival created slavery in the ancient world. Aristotle speculated this institution could be done away with if machines could be invented to do this work.

Aristotle On Slavery, From Politics, Book I, Chapters 5-6 We see then that there is some foundation for this difference of opinion, and that all are not either slaves by nature or freeman by nature, and also that there is in some cases a marked distinction between the two classes, rendering it expedient and right for the one to be slaves and the others to be masters: the one practicing obedience, the other exercising authority and lordship which nature intended them to have. The abuse of this authority is injurious to both; for the interests of part and whole, of body and soul, are the same, and the slave is a part of the master, a living but separated part of his bodily frame. Hence, where the relation of master and slave between them is natural they are friends and have common interest, but where it rests merely on law and force the reverse is true.

Question for Reflection Does Aristotle’s distinction between natural and conventional slaves cast doubt on the moral legitimacy of slavery as it was actually practiced in Athens? Has modern technology made the natural slave obsolete?

The Six Forms of Regimes Number of Rulers Rule Serving the Common Good Rule Serving Private Interest or Those Who Rule One Kingship or monarchy Tyranny Few Aristocracy Oligarchy Many Polity Democracy