Aristotle (384-322 BCE): First theorist of democracy

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Aristotle (384-322 BCE)First theorist of
democracy

• PHIL 2011
• Semester I 2006-07

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Contributions

• Major political thinker
• First theorist of democracy (Plato hated
  democracy)
• Biologist used scientific method to analyze
  political institutions
• Database of 158 constitutions, all but one lost
  the Constitution of Athens
• Developed logic (the organon, or tool).

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Aristotle

• 384 born in Stagira (in Macedonia)
• Son of a court physician, Nicomachus
• 367-347 studied in Platos Academy, Athens
• 347 Plato dies Aristotle leaves Athens for
  Assos, Mytilene and Macedonia
• In Asia Minor he studied marine organisms
  described in his biological works
• 342 tutored the Macedonian prince, Alexander
  little discernible influence
• 335 returned to Athens
• Could not become an Athenian citizen b/c his
  parents were not Athenian.

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Map of Ancient Greece
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Athens in Aristotles Day

• Greek city-state involved in commerce and trade,
  located by the sea (very important for economics
  and politics)
• Democracy demos people cracy rule, i.e.
  rule of the people
• Ancient democracy very different from modern
• No concepts of rights (i.e. no liberal democracy)
• Citizens had duties and obligations to their
  city
• We do not say that man who is not interested in
  politics is a man who minds his own business, we
  say that he has no business here at all
  (Pericles, in Thucydides, History of the
  Peloponnesian War)
• Approx. 1/3 of population slaves, born of slaves
  or captured in war
• Foreigners (metics) and women could not become
  citizens.

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School of Athens by Raphael
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Relationship to Plato

• Plato
• Soul-Society Analogy
• soul 3 pts reason, spirit, appetite
• Society rulers, guardians, people
• Method determine the Form of the Good
• Absolutist the philosopher-king should rule the
  city
• No democracy!.

• Aristotle
• Soul-Society Analogy
• Soul 2 pts reason and appetite
• Society rulers and ruled (all citizens)
• Method empirical examine phenomena opinion
• Relativist different regimes for different
  cities
• Democracy not best, but best of worst regimes.

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Happiness

• Greeks debated what is good life, or what is
  happiness?
• Man on the streets answer wealth, fame, beauty.
• But what is man? What is his function
  (goal/telos), I.e. what is natural for him?
• Key premise man has reason, and his telos (final
  end) is to use that reason
• Happiness is an activity of the soul (the
  reasoning part of our being) in accordance with
  virtue (Nicomachean Ethics).
• Even contemplation, the highest life for man, is
  an activity (Pol. 7.3).

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Aristotles Biology

• Biology informs Aristotles view of human
  happiness, the good life and telos
• Major idea teleology (study of purpose) we
  understand things by their purpose or end
• Telos goal or end the end of an acorn is to
  become an oak that is natural for acorns.
• This can be done for man and society as well as
  organisms, i.e. what is the final end of man?

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Aristotle the biologist

• Major Works in Zoology
• Parts of Animals
• History of Animals
• Movements of Animals
• Recall that Aristotles father was a physician
• Aristotle studied marine organisms and other
  animals!

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Aristotles Hierarchy of Beings

• 3 kinds of soul
• Vegetative plants
• Sensitive animals
• Rational man
• These ideas still used in the 17th century by
  Descartes.
• What is unique to man is reasoning ability and
  his highest good/goal/telos is to exercise that
  ability.
• Plants and animals have different goals than man
  because they have different natures/souls.

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Virtue

• Everything has a virtue
• Virtue means acting well, in accordance with
  ones nature
• Slaves, plants, animals, humans all have virtues,
  just as they have goods
• Mans particular virtue to act from reason, and
  unless he is a philosopher, to act for his
  community.

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Aristotles Political Thought

• Father of political science his Lyceum, a rival
  to Platos Academy, launched first scientific
  study of politics
• Political science is the master science as it
  directs all the others, e.g. music, mathematics
  and gymnastic
• Database constitutions of 158 Greek cities (all
  lost) except for
• Constitution of Athens political history and
  description of contemporary constitution
• Aristotle classifies regimes according to which
  interests are dominant (the rich, the poor, the
  middle class)
• Analyzes diseases of political regimes, by
  looking at parts of regimes and their variations,
  by analogy to biology (1290b24).

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Major Political Ideas of Aristotle

• Philosophical inquiry should examine the Good,
  the highest life for man
• What is the telos or purpose of man? He is by
  nature a political animal.
• The Polis (city-state) provides the highest life
  for man, by enabling him to fulfill his purpose.
• Another end for man is the life of contemplation
  (i.e. philosophy) because man is the reasoning
  animal
• Philosophy is a kind of activity, and hence not
  passive.

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Major Political Ideas, cont.

• The best regime promotes the good of all, not
  just of one class, group or section of the
  population.
• A city is not a mere alliance for defense or a
  trading association it has a higher purpose or
  end
• Hierarchy is natural (Pol., Bk I).
• Platos advocacy of communism is misguided (Pol.,
  Bk II) private property is best, but not too
  much, and not from trade (agricultural economy is
  best).
• Limits on property, population and economic
  activity are desirable.

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Aristotles Ideal City

• Describes the necessary natural resources,
  planning, economic and religious activities,
  community life
• Stipulates right conditions for marriage and
  procreation
• Separates economic from political activity
• Analyzes the purpose of the state, does not
  simply take it as a given
• Stipulates that education is for good of city so
  it should be a common (not private) endeavour
• Stipulates the best kind of music for citizens to
  hear.
• .

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Important Quotes

• man is by nature a political animal (emph.
  added Pol. I.2)
• He who would inquire into the essence and
  attributes of various kinds of government must
  first of all determine what a state is (Pol.
  III.1).
• the identity of a city is not constituted by
  its walls (Pol. III.3).