in defense of inequality 1: it’s natural! aristotle’s politics

In Defense of Inequality 1:It’s Natural!

Aristotle’s Politics

Aristotle

1. Biographical Sketch2. The Polis and the Political Stature

of Man/Woman3. Teleology4. Natural Slavery

Aristotle Biographical Overview

384-322 B.C.E. Born in Macedonia, to

wealthy parents connected to the royal household

Studied with Plato for 17 years

Tutor to Alexander the Great 343-335 B.C.E.

335/4 returned to Athens and founded own school – the Lyceum

I. The Polis and the Political Stature of Man/Woman

The Politics is an attempt to understand the essence of political life

Contrast that with Plato’s Republic Where Plato provided an account

of what politics should be, Aristotle grounds that understanding on the facts of “real world” political life

I. The Polis and the Political Stature of Man/Woman “EVERY STATE is a community of some kind, and

every community is established with a view to some good; for mankind always act in order to obtain that which they think good. But, if all communities aim at some good, the state or political community, which is the highest of all, and which embraces all the rest, aims at good in a greater degree than any other, and at the highest good… We must therefore look at the elements of which the state is composed, in order that we may see in what the different kinds of rule differ from one another, and whether any scientific result can be attained about each one of them.

(Book I, chapter 1).


“We must therefore look at the elements of which the state is composed Contrast with Plato; importance here

of empirical evidence City => association that aims at

highest good Politics => activity that happens in a

city


Two ideas we need to develop here:1. How do we know the state is the

“highest community?”2. How do we know what is the

“highest good”?


Authoritative Association Every association aimed at some end

Family (Book I, chp. 2, 1252b) Town (Book I, chp. 2, 1252b) City/Polis (Book I chp. 2, 1253a)


The FamilyStructure

Two associations:Male/FemaleRuler/Ruled

End of Family? Reproduction (1st association)“needs of daily life” (2nd association)


The VillageStructure

Groupings of familiesEnd of the village?

Reproduction“needs of daily life”

I. The Polis and the Political Stature of

Man/WomanThe CityThe City

–SS Structure:Structure:GG Groupings of villages (Book 1, chp. 2)Groupings of villages (Book 1, chp. 2)

–EE End of the city?End of the city?–RR Reproduction?Reproduction?–““ needs of daily life?needs of daily life?

End of the city = not just life or living, End of the city = not just life or living, but living but living the “good life.” the “good life.”

I. The Polis and the Political Stature of Man/Woman The Polis: “When several villages are united in a

single complete community, large enough to be nearly or quite self-sufficing, the state comes into existence, originating in the bare needs of life, and continuing in existence for the sake of a good life.”(Book 1, chp. 2. 1252b).

Authoritative Association

Authoritative Association The authoritative or sovereign

association is one that decides the aims of other (smaller or constitutive) associations

Thus the polis exists prior to the individual


Authoritative Association:

“Further, the state is by nature clearly prior to the family and to the individual, since the whole is of necessity prior to the part; for example, if the whole body be destroyed, there will be no foot or hand, except in an equivocal sense, as we might speak of a stone hand; for when destroyed the hand will be no better than that… The proof that the state is a creation of nature and prior to the individual is that the individual, when isolated, is not self-sufficing; and therefore he is like a part in relation to the whole. (Book 1, chp. 2, 1253b).


“But he who is unable to live in society, or who has no need because he is sufficient for himself, must be either a beast or a god: he is no part of a state.” (Book 1, chap. 2, 1253b).

I. The Polis and the Political Stature of Man/Woman Virtue is that aspect of something that

enables it to develop itself and to achieve its final end.

Virtuous person is one with properties that enable him/her to develop fully human capacities.

Good polis, then, is one which fosters virtue.

Polis is the authoritative good since it allows for the development of our fully human capacities.


“For what each thing is when fully developed, we call its nature, whether we are speaking of a man, a horse, or a family. Besides, the final cause and end of a thing is the best, and to be self-sufficing is the end and the best. Hence it is evident that the state is a creation of nature, and that man is by nature a political animal. ” (Book 1, chp. 2, 1253a)


Aristotle’s View of the Polis vs. Modern Conceptions Today we view politics as a means of

insuring private good We use politics for selfish ends

For Aristotle, man is a political animal, political life is part of the individual

I. The Polis and the Political Stature of Man/Woman Politics means getting together in public

and deciding what we ought to do this activity allows for development of virtue

where virtue is a public activity How do we know the essence of human

species? “He who thus considers things in their first growth

and origin, whether a state or anything else, will obtain the clearest view of them. (Book 1, chp. 2)

Need to develop this idea more fully

II. Teleology

1. Everything in nature is ordered, exists for a purpose

2. Everything has a nature, and built into each nature is an end (telos)

3. Acorn example, again4. How to know end?

Observation

5. How to know what to observe?

II. Teleology

“It is in things whose condition is according to nature that one ought particularly to investigate what is by nature, not in things that are defective. Thus the human being to be studied is one whose state is best both in body and in soul…” (Book 1, chp. 5, 1254a)

II. Teleology Man -- in right sort of polis -- can grow

to be “full” human where “full” means achieving full human potential Contrast with contemporary conceptions

where politics is private; a means to secure private interest

For Aristotle, the private is simply a means to sustain politics. Politics is what is really important, so need to subordinate private life to public life

II. Teleology

Politics is a public activity indeed it is the activity which distinguishes us from other social animals What is politics? Why is it special?

II. Teleology Politics is:

Activity where people decide and then act on the decision

Based on rational persuasion, not coercion

(logos =speaking = only possible with other humans)

Our humanity is only attainable in political setting

II. Teleology

“One who is incapable of participating or who is in need of nothing through being self-sufficient is no part of a city, and so is either a beast or a god” (Book 1, chp. 2, 1253a).

Conducted only between equals

II. Teleology

Our humanity is attainable only in the polis

Raises question: who should be included in politics?

III. Natural Slavery

Recall Point II.1: Nature has an order

Order is hierarchical

The Chain of Being

pond scum

The Chain of Being

pond scum

insects

The Chain of Being

pond scum

insects

reptiles

The Chain of Being

pond scum

insects

reptiles

mammals

The Chain of Being

pond scum

insects

reptiles

mammals

human beings

III. Natural Slavery Why should we suddenly become

standardless as we cross human threshold?

No reason for egalitarianism Not everybody is able to take care

of themselves so ...

III. Natural Slavery Slavery, under the right conditions,

is natural Slavery is just insofar as some people

are slaves by nature Slavery indispensable to good polis Politics is a leisure activity

III. Natural Slavery Unless we have one class permanently

engaged in producing the sustenance necessary for life, nobody is able to attain the good life and thus to achieve the proper end of the species. Question of how to distribute burdens of

labor and leisure Slaves do all the manual work, masters

develop into “full” human beings Good polis needs slaves

IV. Conclusion & Segue What is the good polis? How would we determine the

nature of the good polis?

in defense of inequality 1: it’s natural! aristotle’s politics

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