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--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
"The translation is very clear; good for the undergraduate classroom. The footnotes are excellent--helpful without being overwhelming."--Karen Adkins, University of Massachusetts at Amherst
"Still the best [translation]; I haven't found any better."--Christopher Rocco, University of Connecticut
"Excellent notes and summaries--very helpful."--Leslie Collins Edwards, University of California, San Diego
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
Since, then, the question of legislation has been left unexamined by previous thinkers, presumably we had better investigate it more closely for ourselves, together with the question of constitutions generally, so that our philosophy of human conduct may be as complete as possible. Read the first page
Concordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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In "The Politics", the author begins by analyzing the human being, that is in his opinion a political animal by nature. Afterwards, he explains what are, for him, the origins of the polis: family, small village and then, polis. Aristotle says that even though the polis is the last chronologically, it is all the same the most important, because it is autarchic. The polis (not exactly like our states, but similar to them in some aspects) is a natural community, because it answers to something that human beings need. Only in the polis will men find perfection, only there will they be completely human. Aristotle distinguishes between citizens and non-citizens (the vast majority), and points out that only citizens have political rights. The author delves in many other themes, for example the causes of revolution, the good and bad forms of government, and the "ideal" form of government. What is more, he also considers several constitutions, and talks about the adequate education that forms good citizens for the polis.
Now, why should you read a book that was written many centuries ago and that on top of that isn't especially easy to read?. The answer is quite simple: "The Politics" is worth it. Of course, you will find faults in some of Aristotle's opinions (for instance, he thought that slaves were "live property", and that slavery was a natural institution), but you cannot ignore that most of his book is as relevant today as it was when he wrote it. "The Politics" is a book that teaches the reader to analyze reality, and to watch things differently, from another perspective. It also mentions several times that it is always necessary to take into account the context, because there are not perfect solutions good for every circumstance. Even though that seems merely common sense, it is an often forgotten truth...
On the whole, I can recommend this book to all those who are interested in Political Science, History of Ideas, or simply curious. I can guarantee that if you are patient enough to end it, you will learn a lot.
Belen Alcat
Aside from this idee fixe -- the doomed philosophical wish to regulate human behaviour -- Aristotle seems immensely sensible. I love his characterisation of wealth as a tool, or the comment that an official becomes worthy of respect when they become an official (which applies to royalty too), or the comment that the drawback of communal ownership is that people take less care of things owned by many people than things they own themselves, or the comment that it s pleasant to have money because only then can we make a gift of it. Aristotle seems much more aware of human nature than Plato is, although I enjoy The Republic, not as a practical plan of a state but as an immense artistic creation, like a novel or a play, or (because of the depth of the thought) like an author's whole oeuvre: Shakespeare or Dickens or Henry James.
My favourite part of The Politics is the last two books, on education. It's astonishing to learn of the importance the Greeks attached to music. When did music become a pastime for us? Although reading these last two books I have the persistent thought that civilisation has declined, and that we live like visitors to a clockwork shop, surrounded by useless technical marvels which we look at with glazed eyes. The Benthamite view of education (it's necessary for the economy) or art (it's useful for the economy) make me weep when they are put beside Aristotle's notion of education as work itself, and his idea that you need to learn precisely *for* leisure (how cheap our notion of leisure is beside this!) "But to be constantly asking 'What is the use of?' is unbecoming to those of superior mentality and free birth" -- this might profitably be disseminated in our society.
Reading Politics today brings out the ever-lasting debates of political association to the surface. Aristotle seeks out to explain the ideal constitution by examining the already existing constitutions of ancient Greece. He divides them into oligarchy, aristocracy, democracy, tyranny and constitutional government (polity), emphasizing the need of specific constitutions for specific people. It is often argued that Western political philosophy is the everlasting debate between Plato and Aristotle - between the idea of a universal ideal political system and the counter-argument of the need of different political systems associated with different social and cultural factors and already existing political systems.
Aristotle's analysis puts forward ideas that were examined in detail again only during and after the Enlightenment period. One will find ideas such as the tyranny of the majority, the connection between the rise of revolutionary activity and the rise of poverty, and the need of a strong middle class to maintain social and political stability, being traced back to Aristotle and this specific text. The significance of Aristotle's work is enormous, for this, together with Plato's Republic, is the true basis of all Western political philosophy.
Some things found in the Politics are of course very outdated. For example, Aristotle's views on women, slavery and marriage are well out of our times, while the discussion on education would probably be more important to historians rather than any other social scientist.
In conclusion, Politics is an essential and rewarding text to read if one is interested in political philosophy. The Oxford edition is a great edition, offering extended explanatory notes throughout the text. I would advice reading Politics as a follow-up to Plato's Republic.
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