Let us first speak of master and slave, looking to the needs of prac. The members of a state must either have 1 all things or 2 nothing in common, or 3 some things in common and some not. Chapter ii politics is the study of the good summary if there should exist an end which is desirable for its own sake, which determines and motivates all other actions and choices, this end would be that which is absolutely good. He adds that political association is the most sovereign form of association since it incorporates all other forms of association and aims at the highest good. In all arts and sciences which embrace the whole of any subject, and do not come into being in a fragmentary way, it is the province of a single art or science to consider all that appertains to a single subject. First we will examine partnership, and the degree to which citizens are partners. Politics by aristotle meet your next favorite book. Politics, by aristotle book i chapter i as we see that every city is a society, and every society ed. Aristotle defines the polis, or city, as a koinonia, or political association, and he asserts that all such associations, like all deliberate human acts, are formed with the aim of achieving some good.
Concerned with political notions such as the state, citizenship, types of government, property, justice, equality and education. Find a summary of this and each chapter of politics. Chapter 2, comparative constitutions summary and analysis. Book 2 in this book aristotle s aim is to look at different states, particularly those that pass good laws and are well governed. Quite a few comments have been posted about politics. He argues that the end of the state is the same end as that of man, which is to attain happiness. Citations of this work, as with the rest of the works of aristotle.
One of the fundamental works of western political thought, aristotles masterwork is the first systematic treatise on the science of politics. Aristotle begins by revealing the teleological assumptions that underlie his analysis. In these first two books aristotle shows his complete mastery of political theory and practice, and raises many crucial issues still with us today. Oct 08, 2014 summary and analysis of book 1 of aritotles politics. Vs plato, aristotle has nurtured his political power while coasting in attending as plato and his political theories. Political science should study i the ideal state, 2 those states which may be the best obtainable under special circumstances, and even 3 those which are essentially bad. Aristotle s thorough and carefully argued analysis is based on a study of over 150 city constitutions, covering a huge range of political issues in order to establish which types of constitution are best both ideally and in particular circumstances and.
The end of the nicomachean ethics declared that the inquiry into ethics necessarily follows into politics, and the two works are frequently considered to be parts of a larger treatise, or perhaps connected lectures, dealing with the philosophy of human affairs. Aristotles politics book ii summary and analysis gradesaver. This chapter is composed of the entire second half of book ii. Aristotle politics book 1 page 2 of 6 in the same way, an individual is not selfsufficient.
And since we take for our special consideration the study of the form of political community that is the best of all the forms for a people able to pursue the most ideal mode of life, we must. Man is by nature a political animal in the politics aristotle addresses the questions that lie at the heart of political science. Teleology is the philosophical study of design and purpose. Phaleass primary concern is the equalization of property, but he does not realize that material equality alone cannot make people good. Summary and analysis of book 1 of aritotles politics. Aristotle, politics with biographical introduction 1 likes. Political critique, political theorizing, political innovation, thornton lockwood argues that the book is more than a laundry list of complaints, and analyzes the structure of politics ii with an eye to questions about the. In it, aristotle explores the role that the political community should play in developing the virtue of its citizens.
The politics, by the ancient greek philosopher aristotle, is one of the most influential texts in political philosophy. The greek citystate, or polis, is the most general association in the greek world, containing all other associations, such as families and trade associations. Here, peter simpson presents a thorough analysis of the logical structure of the entire text and each of its constitutive arguments and conclusions. Aristotles politics is divided into eight books which are each further divided into. Mar 21, 2008 aristotle, on rhetoric book ii taken from kennedygrimaldi and clare chapter 1. Aristotle conducts his philosophical inquiries based on the presuppositions that the universe is a rational and ordered whole in which each part has a distinct purpose and function. For almost three decades, carnes lords justly acclaimed translation has served as the standard english edition. In the first book, aristotle discusses the city polis or as he likes to call it a political association. Politics by aristotle, part of the internet classics archive. It is, in fact, the body of knowledge that such practitioners, if truly. Aristotles political theory can be seen as complementary to ethical theory. Millerthe journal of the society for greek political thought volume 15 numbers 1 and 2.
Political science studies the tasks of the politician or statesman politikos, in much the way that medical science concerns the work of the physician see politics iv. Aristotle refers to efforts to devise model constitutions for utopian states. Characteristics and problems of aristotle s politics 2. Politics from the ideal to the real world unlike most philosophers, aristotles political experience is undeniable as he was tutor of alexander the great, king of macedonias. Aristotles political theory stanford encyclopedia of. Under one interpretation, liberty means an even interchange between ruling and being ruled by all freeborn citizens.
Aristotles politics book i summary and analysis gradesaver. Because we want to study the best possible political partnership, we should study existing regimes and look at their strengths and weaknesses. He contributed to nearly every aspect of human knowledge and society, especially in the field of politics. Since, then, according to our first method in treating of the different forms of government, we have divided those which are regular into three sorts, the kingly, the aristocratical, the free states, and shown the three excesses which these are liable to. Like his work in zoology, aristotles political studies combine observation and theory. As such, the citystate must aim at achieving the highest good. He begins by considering forms of government and their implications, the most important of which is that they involve some form of sharing. Aristotle s politics is a work of political philosophy. For the statesman must sometimes make the best of a bad constitution c. Introducing aristotle and the politics 4thcentury bce philosopher. Aristotle even wrote an entire book called politics. Aristotle then criticizes the theories proposed by phaleas of chalcedon and hippodamus of miletus. Politics, aristotle aristotles politics is divided into eight books which are each further divided into chapters. The second book of the politics contains aristotle s critique of previous regimes, real and imagined.
Aristotle states that the underlying principle of all democracy is liberty, but the concept of liberty can be interpreted in two different ways. In the republic of plato, socrates talks about having women, children and property all in common. Aristotle states that since a citys educational system largely determines the character of its citizens, it is of the utmost importance that this system serve the overall ends of the city. Chapter ii cliffsnotes study guides book summaries, test. The politics is his most wellknown work of political philosophy. But since such permanence of function is better for the political community also. The internet classics archive politics by aristotle. The politics also provides analysis of the kinds of political community that existed.
This book is a credit to the clarendon aristotle series and will prove indispensablefor serious students of aristotle s politics. Book i of the politics provides the reader with insight into aristotle s philosophical method as well as his views on human nature. Chapter summary for aristotles politics, book 2 chapters 1 12 summary. Aristotle himself discusses it in book ii, chapter 3 of the physics and book i. Book ii examines various views concerning the two different kinds of virtues. Once a person has died, according to aristotle, posthumous honors or dishonors and the behavior of his descendants might affect his happiness somewhat, but to no great extent. Summary and analysis of aristotles politics all associations are formed with the aim of achieving some good.