1. ARISTOTLE

2. NAME: Aristotle OCCUPATION: philosopher BIRTH DATE: c. 384 BCE DEATH DATE: c. 322 BCE EDUCATION: Plato's Academy PLACE OF BIRTH: Stagira, Chalcidice, Greece PLACE OF DEATH: Chalcis, Euboea, Greece

3. Aristotle: A Profile   Born in 384 BC in Stagira  broad array of subjects  He was interested in a broad array of subjects (mostly natural sciences)   Founded the Lyceum   Tutor of Alexander the Great of Macedonia

4. A Comparison: Plato and Aristotle   Plato was fundamentally an idealist i.e. “the ideal state”   Aristotle was more realistic there are no ideal states, only existing ones: denial of idea

5. A Comparison: Plato and Aristotle   Aristotle’s concern was to understand how states are constituted What makes a state good?   Assumed that all states were ordered towards a specific end Good v. Bad States

6. Aristotle’s Politics: Key Assumptions   The concept of “Nature” There is a certain natural order to things All things have a specific function or purpose to fulfill

7.   Aristotle’s approach is teleological in nature   All things have an end to which they are determined   To achieve that end is good   There is a hierarchical order among those purposes

8.   The whole is greater than the sum of its parts The whole takes priority over its individual parts Collective achievements can surpass individual ones Aristotle’s Politics: Key Assumptions

9. What is the nature of a Polis ?   Certain relationships in life are natural   Men are thus naturally political animal HOUSEHOLDVILLAGEPOLIS

10. On forms of rule… Various kinds of rule are natural to man: 1. 1. Family 2. 2. Slavery 3. 3. Political Rule

11.   Polis is a natural organisation   Men strive to be self-sufficient but cannot be so alone   The nature of the polis is to be self- sufficing What is the nature of a Polis?

12. Governments: Aristotelian Typology DemocracyPolityMany OligarchyAristocracyFew TyrannyMonarchyOne PervertedIdeal Number of Rulers

13. The Aristotelian Typology Applied Today DemocracyMany OligarchyAristocracyFew TyrannyMonarchyOne PervertedIdeal Number of Rulers Mob Rule

14. Parts of a State 1. Citizenship 2. Sovereignty 3. Justice 4. Law 5. Branches of Government

15. Citizenship   Not derived from age, birth territory, or system of government   Rooted in a person’s participation in civic affairs   Entails the privilege of holding office

16. Sovereignty   supreme power to oblige obedience to its will   Aristotle uses the term to imply its holding of public office   He also uses the term to refer to who gets to make binding public decisions

17. Justice   The good towards which politics is directed   Consists of some sort of equality (“relative equality”)   Related to everything that tends to promote the common good

18. Law   Based on logos: “neutral authority”   Dynamic concept; includes custom and codified (written) law   Aristotle distinguishes between the letter and spirit of the law

19. Practical Lessons a) There is virtue in decisions being made by collective bodies b) It is important for individuals to have some share in civic affairs

20. More Practical Lessons c) c) It is important to distinguish between individuals and institutions/offices d) d) The law is both substantive and organic e) e) The forms of government most likely to work are those where the middle class is large