ARISTOTLE’S POLITICS: ARISTOTLE’S POLITICS: PRACTICAL LESSONS PRACTICAL LESSONS

IN POLITICS AND IN POLITICS AND DEMOCRACYDEMOCRACY

OverviewOverview1.1. Plato v. AristotlePlato v. Aristotle

2.2. Forms of RuleForms of Rule

3.3. Parts of a StateParts of a State

4.4. Practical Lessons in Practical Lessons in Politics and DemocracyPolitics and Democracy

A Comparison:A Comparison:Plato and AristotlePlato and Aristotle

PlatoPlato was fundamentally an was fundamentally an idealistidealist i.e. “the ideal state”i.e. “the ideal state”

AristotleAristotle was more was more realisticrealisticthere are no ideal states, only there are no ideal states, only

existing onesexisting ones

A Comparison:A Comparison:Plato and AristotlePlato and Aristotle

Aristotle’s concern was to Aristotle’s concern was to understand understand how states are how states are constitutedconstitutedWhat makes a state “tick”?What makes a state “tick”?

Assumed that Assumed that all statesall states were were ordered towards a ordered towards a specific endspecific endGood Good v. v. Bad Bad States States

Governments: Governments: Aristotelian TypologyAristotelian Typology

DemocracyDemocracyPolityPolityManyMany

OligarchyOligarchyAristocracyAristocracyFewFew

TyrannyTyrannyMonarchyMonarchyOneOne

PervertedPervertedIdealIdealNumber of Number of RulersRulers

The Aristotelian TypologyThe Aristotelian TypologyApplied TodayApplied Today

DemocracyDemocracyManyMany

OligarchyOligarchyAristocracyAristocracyFewFew

TyrannyTyrannyMonarchyMonarchyOneOne

PervertedPervertedIdealIdealNumber of Number of RulersRulers

Mob Rule Mob Rule

Parts of a StateParts of a State

1.1. CitizenshipCitizenship

2.2. SovereigntySovereignty

3.3. JusticeJustice

4.4. LawLaw

5.5. Branches of GovernmentBranches of Government

CitizenshipCitizenshipNotNot derived from derived from ageage, , birth birth

territoryterritory, or system of , or system of governmentgovernmentRooted in a person’s Rooted in a person’s participation participation

in civic affairsin civic affairsEntails the privilege of Entails the privilege of holding holding

officeoffice

SovereigntySovereigntyThe state’s The state’s supreme powersupreme power to to

oblige oblige obedience to its willobedience to its willAristotle uses the term to denote Aristotle uses the term to denote

the the holding of public officeholding of public officeHe also uses the term to refer to He also uses the term to refer to

whowho gets to make gets to make binding public binding public decisionsdecisions

JusticeJusticeThe The good good towards which towards which politics politics

is directedis directedConsists of some sort of equality Consists of some sort of equality

(“(“relative equalityrelative equality”) ”) Related to everything that tends Related to everything that tends

to promote the to promote the common goodcommon good

LawLaw““Reason free from all passionReason free from all passion””A “A “neutral authorityneutral authority””DynamicDynamic concept; includes concept; includes

custom and codified (written) lawcustom and codified (written) lawAristotle distinguishes between Aristotle distinguishes between

the the letterletter and and spiritspirit of the law of the law

Branches of GovernmentBranches of Government

1.1. DeliberativeDeliberative

2.2. ExecutiveExecutive

3.3. JudicialJudicial

Practical LessonsPractical Lessons

a)a) There is virtue in There is virtue in decisionsdecisions being made by being made by collective bodiescollective bodies

b)b) It is important for It is important for individuals individuals to to have have some share in civic affairssome share in civic affairs

More Practical LessonsMore Practical Lessons

c)c) It is important to It is important to distinguishdistinguish between between individualsindividuals and and institutions/officesinstitutions/offices

d)d) The The lawlaw is both is both substantive substantive and and organicorganic

Even More Practical LessonsEven More Practical Lessons

e)e) The forms of The forms of governmentgovernment most most likely to work likely to work are those are those where the where the middle class is middle class is largelarge