1. Lecture 6: Aristotle’s Politics (Books III)
(3:1) The Good Man versus the Good Citizen
a) The Good Citizen “shares in the civic life of
ruling and being ruled in turn”
b) You cannot be a good ruler without being
ruled first
c) Geography and ethnicity do not matter
d) Workers without leisure cannot be citizens
e) Against Christian definition (

2. (3:7,8) Corrupt Versus Uncorrupt Regimes
1) Uncorrupt Regimes Rule in the Common
Interest Distribute Office Unequally
2) Corrupt Regimes Rule For Leaders Personal
Class Interests
3) Kingship/Aristocracy/Const. Government
versus
Tyranny/Oligarchy/Democracy

3. (3:11) Aristotle’s Analysis of Democracy
1. Democracy is the MOST MODERATE and
LEAST WORST of corrupt regimes.
2. All together, individual citizens have superior
EXCELLENCE political knowledge/virtue)
than any configuration of wise elite.
3. “All together, individual citizens JUDGE
things better or at least the same as a wise
elite (“when combined with better classes
men are even more perceptive” - “pure food
is worse and more poisonous than a
concoction”)

4. (3:9-12) Aristotle’s Definition of Justice
4. When deprived of power, their numbers create
a city full of enemies”
5. “The diner, not the cook, will be the best judge
of a feast.”
6. A whole citizenry is SLOWER to anger than
ONE citizen ruling alone.
(3:9-12) Aristotle’s Definition of Justice
1) “Justice is a proportion between the things distributed
and those to whom they are distributed”
2) Assigning Equal Things to Equals: Equals
should have an equal opportunity to rule

5. 3) Injustice is “inequality among equals” or
“equality among unequals”
4) Injustice is to “ignore different contributions
to the good of the city”(city is a plurality)
5) “those who think they are superior in one
respect think they are superior in all.”
Injustice is “only a partial conception of justice”
The Chief Danger of Injustice is Political Instability
Notice: Aristotle does not propose any economic reforms

6. Other Key Points in Bk: 3 of the Politics
1) First Analysis of Equity (3:11,15)
2) Sovereignty of Law Over Man (3:16)
3) Sovereignty of Unwritten Over Written Law
4) Ostracism: in Athens this vote was taken
once a year/6,000 votes exiled you for 10 years
5) Best Man Must Be Ostracized in Corrupt and
Uncorrupt Regimes Unless People Choose To
Willingly Obey (3:13)

7. 6) Best Man Cannot Be Ruled Over Justly
7) Best Man is Unequal Relative to Others
(“A god among men”)
8) Ideally, the best men ought to rule but they
become “permanent kings in their cities.”