Class 4: Aristotle and Politics (9/7/22):
ARISTOTLE ...
• Lived btn 384-322 BC
• Was Plato’s student
• Tutored Alexander the Great
• After Plato’s death criticized Platonism and
became an empiricist.
• Known to be one of the first scientists.
• He is a theorist of hierarchy
CITIZENSHIP
• A citizen is he who has the power to take part in the deliberative or judicial administration of the
state
• All slaves and the majority of the free people excluded from citizenship
• Being a citizen meant to participate directly in legislative and executive functions of govt.
More participation compared to Plato
Still, his citizenship notion points to a conservative politics
• Economically independent men who has enough experience, education, and leisure to devote
themselves to active citizenship
• Citizens must not lead the life of mechanics and tradesman since it is ignoble, inimical to virtue.
• Strong relation between property and virtue: The ruling class should be the owners of property,
for they are citizens and citizens of state should be in good circumstances.
• Other classes aren’t producers of virtue so should not have a part in the state.
MOST IMPORTANT ARISTOTELIAN DISTINCTION: PARTS OF
THE STATE VS. ITS NECESSARY CONDITIONS
• Only those who actively participate and have leisure to participate are integral parts
• All others are merely a necessary condition who provide material environment within
which active citizens, freed from menial tasks, can operate
• In this respect, to A, excluding the lower class from citizenship is as normal as excluding
slaves.
They are necessary to existence of the state but not its parts
Although they are not legally aliens, they are politically and morally so since they
are excluded from the honors of state.
• Think of the property holder citizens as the ends and the propertyless masses as means
The latter exists for the sake of the former
NATURAL INEQUALITY
• Classics, as opposed to social contract/modern theorists, usually use nature to justify some sort of
inequality that is necessary for their political philosophy
• For Aristotle:
• Nature is universally ruled by the contrast of the superior and inferior
Ex. man/animals, male/female, soul/body, reason/passion
• Rule of the soul over body, rational over passionate is natural,
Rule of inferior is hurtful
, • At birth some are marked for subjection, some for rule
• There are those whose business is to use their body.
This is what they can do best
By nature, slaves
Fair to hunt them if they don’t submit to their superiors
• Good persons and statesmen ought not learn the crafts of their inferiors unless for their own occasional
use
If they do them habitually the distinction between master and slave will disappear
SLAVERY A LA ARISTOTLE
• Slaves have the mental ability of understanding rational actions and masters’ orders
But not acting rationally on their own initiative
• Their use is similar to tamed animals (inferior to slaves since they don’t understand reason)
They administer to the needs of life with their bodies .
• The rule over slave must be based on moral excellence, abuse of authority is injurious to both
• Slave is a part of the bodily frame of the master; they should be friends
• Master and slave have the same interest by nature.
But the interest of the slave is protected only incidentally
If the slave perishes the rule of the master will perish.
• Slavery doesn’t fit superior Greeks because some are slaves everywhere some no where
• Women and slaves are different by nature, but barbarians use them for the same purpose
TYPES OF GOVERNMENT
1) Ruled with a view to common interest Legitimate/good
2) Those serve private interest Not legitimate
Although he believes that things have a best form, he is not only interested in these
ideal types
Ideal is mostly unattainable – Criticizes Plato for only theorizing the ideal state
He is also interested in the most achievable and desirable forms
What is best for a given society may be different from what is ideal
TRUE GOVERNMENTS
• Kingship,
• Aristocracy (Merit and virtue are the selection criteria of rulers)
• Virtue is distributed among several people in Aristocracy
• Constitutional government (Polity)
• Speaks of both monarchy and aristocracy as best for they aim at the general good.
• Constitutional government (polity): citizens administer for common interest
Compromise btn two principles of freedom (of poor) and wealth (of the rich).
Multitude might be better than the few best
When many ordinary persons meet, their collective wisdom and experience might
be superior
User is a better judge than producer
PERVERTED FORMS
• Tyranny
• Oligarchy (Rule of the rich)
• Democracy (rule of poor)
• All eventually lead to chaos and destruction.
ARISTOTLE ...
• Lived btn 384-322 BC
• Was Plato’s student
• Tutored Alexander the Great
• After Plato’s death criticized Platonism and
became an empiricist.
• Known to be one of the first scientists.
• He is a theorist of hierarchy
CITIZENSHIP
• A citizen is he who has the power to take part in the deliberative or judicial administration of the
state
• All slaves and the majority of the free people excluded from citizenship
• Being a citizen meant to participate directly in legislative and executive functions of govt.
More participation compared to Plato
Still, his citizenship notion points to a conservative politics
• Economically independent men who has enough experience, education, and leisure to devote
themselves to active citizenship
• Citizens must not lead the life of mechanics and tradesman since it is ignoble, inimical to virtue.
• Strong relation between property and virtue: The ruling class should be the owners of property,
for they are citizens and citizens of state should be in good circumstances.
• Other classes aren’t producers of virtue so should not have a part in the state.
MOST IMPORTANT ARISTOTELIAN DISTINCTION: PARTS OF
THE STATE VS. ITS NECESSARY CONDITIONS
• Only those who actively participate and have leisure to participate are integral parts
• All others are merely a necessary condition who provide material environment within
which active citizens, freed from menial tasks, can operate
• In this respect, to A, excluding the lower class from citizenship is as normal as excluding
slaves.
They are necessary to existence of the state but not its parts
Although they are not legally aliens, they are politically and morally so since they
are excluded from the honors of state.
• Think of the property holder citizens as the ends and the propertyless masses as means
The latter exists for the sake of the former
NATURAL INEQUALITY
• Classics, as opposed to social contract/modern theorists, usually use nature to justify some sort of
inequality that is necessary for their political philosophy
• For Aristotle:
• Nature is universally ruled by the contrast of the superior and inferior
Ex. man/animals, male/female, soul/body, reason/passion
• Rule of the soul over body, rational over passionate is natural,
Rule of inferior is hurtful
, • At birth some are marked for subjection, some for rule
• There are those whose business is to use their body.
This is what they can do best
By nature, slaves
Fair to hunt them if they don’t submit to their superiors
• Good persons and statesmen ought not learn the crafts of their inferiors unless for their own occasional
use
If they do them habitually the distinction between master and slave will disappear
SLAVERY A LA ARISTOTLE
• Slaves have the mental ability of understanding rational actions and masters’ orders
But not acting rationally on their own initiative
• Their use is similar to tamed animals (inferior to slaves since they don’t understand reason)
They administer to the needs of life with their bodies .
• The rule over slave must be based on moral excellence, abuse of authority is injurious to both
• Slave is a part of the bodily frame of the master; they should be friends
• Master and slave have the same interest by nature.
But the interest of the slave is protected only incidentally
If the slave perishes the rule of the master will perish.
• Slavery doesn’t fit superior Greeks because some are slaves everywhere some no where
• Women and slaves are different by nature, but barbarians use them for the same purpose
TYPES OF GOVERNMENT
1) Ruled with a view to common interest Legitimate/good
2) Those serve private interest Not legitimate
Although he believes that things have a best form, he is not only interested in these
ideal types
Ideal is mostly unattainable – Criticizes Plato for only theorizing the ideal state
He is also interested in the most achievable and desirable forms
What is best for a given society may be different from what is ideal
TRUE GOVERNMENTS
• Kingship,
• Aristocracy (Merit and virtue are the selection criteria of rulers)
• Virtue is distributed among several people in Aristocracy
• Constitutional government (Polity)
• Speaks of both monarchy and aristocracy as best for they aim at the general good.
• Constitutional government (polity): citizens administer for common interest
Compromise btn two principles of freedom (of poor) and wealth (of the rich).
Multitude might be better than the few best
When many ordinary persons meet, their collective wisdom and experience might
be superior
User is a better judge than producer
PERVERTED FORMS
• Tyranny
• Oligarchy (Rule of the rich)
• Democracy (rule of poor)
• All eventually lead to chaos and destruction.
