aristotle's politics (lessons)
DESCRIPTION
Slides on lessons from Aristotle's Politics for an undergraduate course in Political Thought that I taught between 2003-2005.TRANSCRIPT
ARISTOTLE’S POLITICS: ARISTOTLE’S POLITICS: PRACTICAL LESSONS PRACTICAL LESSONS
IN POLITICS AND IN POLITICS AND DEMOCRACYDEMOCRACY
OverviewOverview1.1. Plato v. AristotlePlato v. Aristotle
2.2. Forms of RuleForms of Rule
3.3. Parts of a StateParts of a State
4.4. Practical Lessons in Practical Lessons in Politics and DemocracyPolitics and Democracy
A Comparison:A Comparison:Plato and AristotlePlato and Aristotle
PlatoPlato was fundamentally an was fundamentally an idealistidealist i.e. “the ideal state”i.e. “the ideal state”
AristotleAristotle was more was more realisticrealisticthere are no ideal states, only there are no ideal states, only
existing onesexisting ones
A Comparison:A Comparison:Plato and AristotlePlato and Aristotle
Aristotle’s concern was to Aristotle’s concern was to understand understand how states are how states are constitutedconstitutedWhat makes a state “tick”?What makes a state “tick”?
Assumed that Assumed that all statesall states were were ordered towards a ordered towards a specific endspecific endGood Good v. v. Bad Bad States States
Governments: Governments: Aristotelian TypologyAristotelian Typology
DemocracyDemocracyPolityPolityManyMany
OligarchyOligarchyAristocracyAristocracyFewFew
TyrannyTyrannyMonarchyMonarchyOneOne
PervertedPervertedIdealIdealNumber of Number of RulersRulers
The Aristotelian TypologyThe Aristotelian TypologyApplied TodayApplied Today
DemocracyDemocracyManyMany
OligarchyOligarchyAristocracyAristocracyFewFew
TyrannyTyrannyMonarchyMonarchyOneOne
PervertedPervertedIdealIdealNumber of Number of RulersRulers
Mob Rule Mob Rule
Parts of a StateParts of a State
1.1. CitizenshipCitizenship
2.2. SovereigntySovereignty
3.3. JusticeJustice
4.4. LawLaw
5.5. Branches of GovernmentBranches of Government
CitizenshipCitizenshipNotNot derived from derived from ageage, , birth birth
territoryterritory, or system of , or system of governmentgovernmentRooted in a person’s Rooted in a person’s participation participation
in civic affairsin civic affairsEntails the privilege of Entails the privilege of holding holding
officeoffice
SovereigntySovereigntyThe state’s The state’s supreme powersupreme power to to
oblige oblige obedience to its willobedience to its willAristotle uses the term to denote Aristotle uses the term to denote
the the holding of public officeholding of public officeHe also uses the term to refer to He also uses the term to refer to
whowho gets to make gets to make binding public binding public decisionsdecisions
JusticeJusticeThe The good good towards which towards which politics politics
is directedis directedConsists of some sort of equality Consists of some sort of equality
(“(“relative equalityrelative equality”) ”) Related to everything that tends Related to everything that tends
to promote the to promote the common goodcommon good
LawLaw““Reason free from all passionReason free from all passion””A “A “neutral authorityneutral authority””DynamicDynamic concept; includes concept; includes
custom and codified (written) lawcustom and codified (written) lawAristotle distinguishes between Aristotle distinguishes between
the the letterletter and and spiritspirit of the law of the law
Branches of GovernmentBranches of Government
1.1. DeliberativeDeliberative
2.2. ExecutiveExecutive
3.3. JudicialJudicial
Practical LessonsPractical Lessons
a)a) There is virtue in There is virtue in decisionsdecisions being made by being made by collective bodiescollective bodies
b)b) It is important for It is important for individuals individuals to to have have some share in civic affairssome share in civic affairs
More Practical LessonsMore Practical Lessons
c)c) It is important to It is important to distinguishdistinguish between between individualsindividuals and and institutions/officesinstitutions/offices
d)d) The The lawlaw is both is both substantive substantive and and organicorganic
Even More Practical LessonsEven More Practical Lessons
e)e) The forms of The forms of governmentgovernment most most likely to work likely to work are those are those where the where the middle class is middle class is largelarge