Aristotle

Question 1

Circumstances of Birth (Context)

Answer 1

• Born 384 in Macedonia
  
  • not a citizen of Athens and could not vote
• Student at Plato’s Academy for 20 year
  
  • disagreed with Plato

Question 2

His Research (Context)

Answer 2

• collected data on 150 Constitutions
  
  • virtually every one that was in existence at the time
• Intended to write a great work on politics with this information
  
  • died before he could
• ‘The Politics’ is a collection of his lecture notes

Question 3

Disagreement with Plato

Answer 3

• Aristotle did not think it useful to theorize about the best society
• Aristotle was inductive: look at many topics and use reason/common sense to find the best
• Plato was deductive: start from the first principal (i.e. philosopher-kings) and theorize the ideal

Question 4

Importance of Active Citizenship

Answer 4

• In a political system (like Athens) citizens were politically active; this led to the success of the system
• This is the essential part of citizenship

Question 5

The ‘Realms’ of Poltics

Answer 5

Oikos - the household
- here it is the Man that rules over the women and slaves because the Man knows how to rule

Polis - the public and political world

• here it is the Active Citizen who knows how to rule
• this is in contrast to Plato’s caste system (gold/silver/bronze)

Question 6

The Collective Wisdom of the Many

Answer 6

• Aristocracy is the best form of government…

- but the Many together (i.e. democracy) may be better than the few

Question 7

Zoon Politicon

Answer 7

• “man is by nature a political being”
• it is in man’s nature to be a citizen in a polis
• it is in the definition of a citizen to be an Active Citizen
• it is in the nature of the Active Citizen to know:
  
  • how to rule
  • how to be ruled

Question 8

Classes and Virtues

Answer 8

• based on Platonic thought
• 2 Classes:
  
  • the Rich and the Poor
• each have different virtues

Question 9

Two forms of Government

Answer 9

• gov. by the Many who are poor = Democracy
• gov. by the Few who are rich = Oligarchy
• all power corrupts, even if the ruler is the best of the best; he too will be corrupted

Question 10

The best (attainable) form of government

Answer 10

• A mixed government/polity
• 3 classes: Rich, Poor, Middle
• The government is controlled by the Middle (who must be the most numerous) who provide stability as they act as a buffer
• Middle Class Arbitration
  
  • between rich and poor because neither will consent the other to rule
  • ensure that democratic laws are not too democratic and oligarchy laws are not to oligarchical

Question 11

Aristotelian Realism

Answer 11

• Aristotle is a realist (to Plato’s idealism)

- He seeks the best practical system and does not postulate with unrealistic ideals

Question 12

Mixed Constitution

Answer 12

• There will always be those who have, and those who have not
• All will never be completely equal
• Need a constitution which accommodates and balances between the haves and have nots
• The middle class provides this stability