Introduction to Aristotle
THE ACTIVITY OF POLITICAL THOUGHT
Political thought is simply ethical reflection on practical issues. With happiness as our general goal we aim to decide (accurately) how much of x will make us happy
It is a practical decision as is generally relative to us - a life of virtue is hard (personal) work
Such questions can range from mars bars to politics (the latter is harder and more interesting)
Who is Aristotle?
Aristotle is a greek philosopher best known for founding formal logic. He was born in Stagira in 384bc and was a student at Plato’s Academy 367-347bc. He was a tutor to ‘Alexander the Great’
In his lifetime, Aristotle founded Lyceum 335bc which is the name of Aristotle's ancient Athenian school of philosophy. LAater, he wrote books called ‘The Poltics’ and ‘Ethics’ before his death in 322bc
His Legacy:
Work retained in Syrian and Arabic cultures and reintroduced to the west in early medieval period and synthesised in Aquinas’s work.
Banned by Council of Paris but so vital that between 13th and 18th centuries, he was referred to as ‘the philosopher.’
Taught as philosophy in this period of time.
The difference between Plato and Aristotle?
Aristotle rejected Plato’s suggestion that philosophers should rul because for Aristole, poitics is more than philosophy; it is practical too. This was obviously at odds with the emphasis that Plato placed on the theory of the forms.
Aristotle appears to offer more of a human touch arguing that the happiness and virtue of all citizens are entwined with politics.
Aristotle’s most famous claim is that happiness and virtue are dependent on active membership (citizenship) of a political community.
More specifically, he asserts that man is by nature suited to life in a Polis In defending this claim Aristotle develops his science of politics
Aristotle’s Poltiical Science
Aristotle made an empirical study of 158 constitutions But, for Aristotle, Politics and
Ethics are necessarily intertwined
The principles at work in his claim that man is a political animal lead to his view that politics is the ‘master science’
Politics should provide the material and moral conditions for human happiness - the good life
The Sophists
Aristotle’s position contradicts the sophist claim that politics is created to restrain the natural desires of man (cf Bk1 Republic)
For Aristotle, politics is designed to facilitate the good life - to give expression to human nature
If we can establish what politics is for then we have a firm foundation for working out the best sort of constitution
How do you go about proving
➢ that politics is the master science?
➢ that politics provides the conditions for happiness?
➢ that man is by nature a political animal?
By grasping the TELEOLOGICAL nature of Aristotle’s
Politics and Ethics
The Telos of Man
The Politics and The Ethics are teleological in that Aristotle argues that questions concerning the best life for man can be understood by looking at his natural ‘end point’
At its simplest Aristotle’s question is ‘what conditions allow man to reach his full potential?’
The answer is equally as simple ‘being a citizen of a just Polis’.
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