Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)

1
Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)

• Born in Stagira, an Athenian colony in Macedonia
  (Aristotle was never an Athenian citizen) ?
  foreigner ?Cosmopolitan perspective
• Upper-middle class background, his father was the
  physician of the Macedonian court.
• At 17, moved to Athens to study at Platos
  Academy
• Tutor of Macedonian Alexander
• Organized his own academy in Athens, the Lyceeum
  (survived for 500 years)
• After Alexanders death (323 B.C.) Aristotle had
  to go into exile and died the following year in
  Chalcis.

2
Foundational work in diverse disciplines

• Biology, zoology (identified 500 species),
  physics, medicine, psychology, logic,
  metaphysics, rhetorics, aesthetics, ethics,
  politics (all of these subjects were taught in
  the Lyceeum)
• Politics
• Political theory
• Comparative government (Aristotle is the first
  comparativiststudy of 158 constitutions)

3
Works

• Only a fraction of his work survives
• Compiled in 150 volumes
• Exoteric/Esoteric (not intended for publication
  lecture notes)
• Includes The Athenian Constitution, On Dreams,
  Physics, Metaphysics, Poetics, Politics,
  Nicomachean Ethics, Rhetorics
• Politics (8 books)
• http//classics.mit.edu/Browse/index-Aristotle.htm
  l

4
Human Knowledge
5
Similarities/Differences with Plato?
6
Plato
Aristotle
Best Ideal form of government (kingship) Best ideal (kingship or aristocracy) and existent (polity) forms of governments
Rationalism (deduction) Comparative method
Forms/Ideas Substance/categories
Nature (fixed) (realization of) nature
Comprehensive understanding of constitution Constitution arrangement of magistracies in a state (100)
Happiness as a quality of the whole Happiness realization and perfect practice of virtue (97)
Critique of property and the family Property is good (and the familiy is necessary) -- equalization
Rule of the best Rule according to law
Other?
7
Nature

• Species (fixed )
• Teleology the nature of a thing is its end.
• Potency
  Realization
• How and where is human nature fully developed?
  Why?

8
The State Organic Whole
Man as a political animal
?
What distinguishes the state from all other
communities?How is state rule different from
master/slave domination?
9
The Good Life Happiness

• Is the virtuous life.
• The practice of virtue requires being furnished
  with means. (88)
• Practicing virtue allows human beings to become
  what they are, to realize their essence.
• Speech and action (in the Polis)
• Good man ? good citizen
• Activities that allow men to realize their
  nature art, science, prudence, wisdom, and
  intuition.
• The political sciences are species of prudence.

10
Functions of the State(services the state must
provide) (98)

• Food
• Arts
• Arms
• Revenue
• Religion
• Power of deciding
• Justice

a state exists for the sake of a good life, and
not for the sake of life only
11
Life the state
it is evident that the state is a creation of
nature, and that man is by nature a political
animal. And he who by nature and not by mere
accident is without a state, is either a bad man
or above humanity he is like the Tribeless,
lawless, heartless one Whom Homer denouncesthe
natural outcast is forthwith a lover of war he
may be compared to an isolated piece at
draughts. (86)

• Zoe Vs.
  Bios
• Mere Life
  the Good Life
• (or Bare Life)
• (voice)
  (speech)

Parts /Necessary conditions
12
Ontology
God
Being
Natural hierarchy of beings (fixed) Scale of
Being
Angels
Man (female, slave)
Animals
Plants
Minerals
Non-Being
13
Different Beings

• Citizens
• Slaves no speech

14
governments differ in kind
Goal Pursuing the common interest (true) Pursuing private interest (perversions)
One Kingship Tyranny
Few Aristocracy Oligarchy
Many Constitutional Government (olygarchy democracy) Democracy
15
Cycle
?
16
Best and Worst Forms
Kingship (the best regime, ideally) Tyranny
Aristocracy Oligarchy
Constitution/Polity (the best regime for most existent societies) Democracy (the most tolerable of the degenerate forms)
17
Is Aristotles ontology still dominant these days?

• Is politics in the West founded upon these
  distinctions?
• Are all beings equally worthy, or some forms of
  life amount for only mere life?
• Are these distinctions still made among human
  beings?
• Is this a good or bad understanding of human
  nature?

18
Categories

• Substance (fundamental entities)
• Quality
• Quantity
• Relation
• Where
• When
• Position
• Having
• Action
• Passion

Redeveloped by Kant in the 18th century