aristotle

Question 1

Who was Aristotle, and what are some key aspects of his life?

Answer 1

Aristotle (384-322 BCE) was a pupil of Plato, teacher of Alexander the Great, founder of the Lyceum, and author ofNicomachean EthicsandPolitics.

Question 2

How does Aristotle define virtue?

Answer 2

Virtue is the disposition to find the right mean between two extremes, such as courage being the balance between cowardice and rashness.

Question 3

What is the ultimate goal of life according to Aristotle?

Answer 3

Eudaemonia, or human flourishing.

Question 4

What distinguishes theoretical knowledge from practical knowledge in Aristotle’s philosophy?

Answer 4

Theoretical knowledge is intrinsic, general, and precise, while practical knowledge is instrumental, particular, and variable.

Question 5

What is teleology in Aristotle’s philosophy?

Answer 5

The idea that everything has a purpose or telos, such as an acorn’s purpose to become an oak tree.

Question 6

What are Aristotle’s four causes of the polis?

Answer 6

Matter: citizens,
Form: constitution,
Efficient cause: self-sufficiency,
Final cause: living the good life in common.

Question 7

What is Aristotle’s view of humans as political animals (zōon politikon)?

Answer 7

Humans are political animals because they have the gift of speech, enabling them to discern the expedient, just, and unjust.

Question 8

What are Aristotle’s criticisms of Plato’s Republic regarding private possessions?

Answer 8

Aristotle argued that lack of private possessions leads to disinterest and inefficiency, as people care more for their own property.

Question 9

Why does Aristotle critique Plato’s abolition of the family?

Answer 9

He believed that the absence of family undermines brotherhood and happiness, as relationships of love and care give life meaning.

Question 10

How does Aristotle view morality differently from Plato?

Answer 10

Plato bases morality outside of current affairs, while Aristotle grounds political ethics in lived experiences.

Question 11

What is the role of the polis in human life, according to Aristotle?

Answer 11

The polis is the ultimate form of human organization, aiming to expand human capacities and achieve justice.

Question 12

What isoikonomia, and how does Aristotle differentiate it fromchrematistike?

Answer 12

Oikonomiais household management for survival, whilechrematistikeis the limitless accumulation of wealth, considered a degeneration of economics.

Question 13

What are Aristotle’s requirements for citizenship in the polis?

Answer 13

Proper education, economic independence, native-born status, being free, and being male.

Question 14

What are Aristotle’s six forms of government?

Answer 14

Tyranny (bad)/Monarchy (good), Oligarchy (bad)/Aristocracy (good), Democracy (bad)/Politeia or Polity (good).

Question 15

How does Aristotle classify corrupt forms of government?

Answer 15

Corruption occurs when governments serve private interests: tyranny for one, oligarchy for the few, and democracy for the many.

Question 16

What is Aristotle’s ideal form of government?

Answer 16

Politeia/Polity, rule by the middle class, as it represents a balance and the right mean.

Question 17

How does Aristotle justify slavery?

Answer 17

He believed slaves had a nature different from masters and considered them ‘animated tools’, with authority following perceived natural differences.

Question 18

How does Aristotle view women in society?

Answer 18

He viewed women as naturally inferior, with their deliberative faculty present but without authority, and their state as a natural deformity.

Question 19

What is Aristotle’s view on children?

Answer 19

Children have a deliberative faculty, but it is immature, making them dependent on guidance.

Question 20

What is the relationship between the polis and the oikos in Aristotle’s philosophy?

Answer 20

The oikos (household) serves the polis (state) by managing economic activity for the common good, ensuring a rational and virtuous economy.

Question 21

What is Aristotle’s approach to political realism?

Answer 21

He focuses on constitutions and ways of life achievable by most cities and people, rather than aiming for unattainable ideals.

Question 22

How does Aristotle relate the citizen to the state?

Answer 22

The citizen is a political equal who both rules and is ruled, emphasizing mutual participation and moderation of conflict.

Question 23

How does Aristotle define eudaemonia, and how is it connected to virtue?

Answer 23

Eudaemonia is human flourishing, achieved through the practice of virtue, which is finding the right mean in all aspects of life.

Question 24

What is Aristotle’s critique of wealth accumulation?

Answer 24

He condemns limitless accumulation (chrematistike), favoring economic activity (oikonomia) that serves rational and political goals.

Question 25

How does Aristotle view the connection between virtue and practical wisdom?

Answer 25

Practical wisdom is the ability to find the right mean in each situation, essential for living virtuously and achieving eudaemonia.

Question 26

What distinguishes Aristotle’s metaphysics from Plato’s?

Answer 26

Aristotle rejected Plato’s separate world of Forms, focusing on the essence or being immanent in material things.

Question 27

What are Aristotle’s four causes, and how do they explain purpose?

Answer 27

Material cause: what something is made of,Formal cause: its shape or essence,Efficient cause: what brings it into being,Final cause: its purpose.

Question 28

How does Aristotle classify political power based on its distribution?

Answer 28

By wealth (oligarchy), citizenship (democracy), excellence (aristocracy), and moral virtue (politeia/polity).

Question 29

What are the critical terms to remember in Aristotle’s political thought?

Answer 29

Eudaemonia, virtue, practical wisdom, teleology, polis, oikonomia, chrematistike, zōon politikon, constitutions, aristocracy, politeia/polity.