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ARISTOTLE S POLITICS:

PRACTICAL LESSONS
IN POLITICS AND DEMOCRACY
Overview
1. Plato v. Aristotle
2. Forms of Rule
3. Parts of a State
4. Practical Lessons in
Politics and Democracy
A Comparison:
Plato and Aristotle
Plato was fundamentally an
idealist
li.e.
the ideal state
Aristotle was more realistic
lthere are no ideal states,
only existing ones
A Comparison:
Plato and Aristotle
Aristotle
s concern was to
understand how states are
constituted
lWhat m akes a state
tick
?
Assumed that all states were
ordered towards a specific end
lGood v. Bad States
Governments:
Aristotelian Typology
Number of Ideal Perverted
Rulers
One Monarchy Tyranny

Few Aristocracy Oligarchy

Ma n y Polity Dem ocracy


The Aristotelian Typology
Applied Today
Number of Ideal Perverted
Rulers
One Monarchy Tyranny

Few Aristocracy Oligarchy

Ma n y Dem ocracy Mob Rule


Parts of a State
1. Citizenship
2. Sovereignty
3. Justice
4. Law
5. Branches of Government
Citizenship
Not derived from age, birth
territory, or system of
government
Rooted in a person s
participation in civic affairs
Entails the privilege of holding
office
Sovereignty
The state s supreme power to
oblige obedience to its will
Aristotle uses the term to
denote the holding of public
office
He also uses the term to refer
to who gets to make binding
public decisions
Justice
The good towards which
politics is directed
Consists of some sort of
equality ( relative equality
)
Related to everything that
tends to promote the common
good
Law
Reason free from all passion
A neutral authority
Dynamic concept; includes
custom and codified (written)
law
Aristotle distinguishes between
the letter and spirit of the law
Branches of Government
1. Deliberative

2. Executive

3. Judicial
Practical Lessons
a. There is virtue in decisions
being made by collective
bodies
b. It is important for individuals
to have some share in civic
affairs
More Practical Lessons
c. It is important to distinguish
between individuals and
institutions/offices
d. The law is both substantive
and organic
Even More Practical Lessons
d. The forms of government
most likely to work are those
where the middle class is
large
END

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