Aristotles Politics - Essay Example

Aristotle's Politics Aristotle's Politics, written around 350 BCE, enquires into how best people should be governed. It touches on a variety of subjects-the nature of a household and a state, and the differences between running a household and a state; what makes a person a slave, and who is a free person; are some people born to be slaves; the relationship between a master and a slave; the economic life of a state, and how wealth is created; who is better suited to rule-the man of action or the thinker; is it better to be a man of action or is it better to be a thinker; what kind of education should be given to the young. And so on. The core of this discussion centers on how to have a good life-how the state can contribute to a better life: "the state comes into existence, originating in the bare needs of life, and continuing in existence for the sake of a good life."1 Aristotle's ideas are derived to some extent from independent thought, and to some extent he bases them on empirical evidence-what he actually saw and experienced. Therefore, at times, he tends to justify the status quo-making statements that some people are born to be slaves, and that a slave "is a possession of the animate sort"2 or that 'Hellenes' (Greeks) are superior to others (barbarians) These ideas may be reprehensible today to us, who favor a liberal approach. However, in discussing the views of the thinkers of antiquity we must remember the setting in which they were placed, and accept that circumstances and environment definitely play a major part in shaping thought processes. In his book, Politics (as also in his Ethics) Aristotle looks among other things at the political and the contemplative life, discussing what is involved in each type of life, and which one of these is preferable. It is in Book 7 of Politics that Aristotle gets down to debating the pros and cons of the practical and the contemplative life. His argument runs in the following manner. He states that it is the manner in which "goods" are "partitioned" that separates men into three types. These goods he classifies into three, "external goods, goods of the body, and goods of the soul." The "happy man must have all three" of these type of goods.3 The soul is nobler than our bodies or our possessions. And "it is for the sake of the soul that goods external and goods of the body are eligible at all and (we) ought to choose them for the sake of the soul, and not the soul for the sake of them."4 Every human being should seek to be happy. But happiness should not be mistaken for the usual bodily pleasures. In his Ethics Aristotle says that the happiness that a person has achieved cannot be calculated on a short-term basis, but can be ascertained at the end of his life. When a person lives his life ensuring that the "activity of (his) soul (is) according to reason" (Ethics),5 then he attains happiness. The best life, for an individual and for a state, is the life of virtue, "when virtue has external goods enough for the performance of good actions."6 The extent of happiness which a person attains is in proportion to the virtue and wisdom which he possesses, and which leads to virtuous and wise action. A person is "happy and blessed not by reason of any external good, but in himself and by reason of his own nature."7 The difference between good fortune and happiness is that external goods (or good fortune) occur as a result of chance, but happiness which comes by temperate living or virtue is no chance happening. Temperate living comes from right actions that are done because a person possesses virtue and wisdom. Both a man of action and a man of contemplation can pursue a virtuous life-a life in which he uses his wisdom to do the right thing. The highest or best life for a man of action is the political life, while the highest type of contemplative life is the philosopher's life. To use Aristotle's own words, " even those who agree in thinking that the life of virtue is the most eligible, raise a question, whether the life of business and politics is or is not more eligible than one which is wholly independent of external goods, I mean than a contemplative life, which by some is maintained to be the only one worthy of a philosopher. For these two lives-the life of the philosopher and the life of the statesman-appear to have been preferred by those who have been most keen in the pursuit of virtue, both in our own and in other ages. Which is the better is a question of no small moment; for the wise man will necessarily regulate his life according to the best end."8 Thus, he has posed the question: Which is the better life Is it the life of contemplation (philosopher) Or is it the life of action (statesman). This debate started by Aristotle continued in the writings of Plato (in his Republic Plato tried to merge the contemplative and the philosophic life in the persona of the "Philosopher-King", Cicero and Thomas Aquinas. How does Aristotle himself answer this question in his Politics How does one practice virtue or live a virtuous life Some do it by renouncing political power, because they think that the life of a freeman is superior to the life of a ruler. But they do this, because the labor under the mistaken notion that all rulers are despots. Aristotle answers the question of whether it is better to be a ruler or not, by stating, "you are partly right and partly wrong (in adhering to any one belief)."9 Although it is better to be a freeman than a despot, the life of a wise ruler is better than that of a freeman. "And it is equally a mistake to place inactivity above action, for happiness is activity, and the actions of the just and wise are the realization of much that is noble.10). So we seem to be back to square one, without a clear answer as to whether action is superior to contemplation or vice versa! Aristotle then goes on to add that, "supreme power is the best of all things, because the possessors of it are able to perform the greatest number of noble actions. If so, the man who is able to rule, instead of giving up anything to his neighbor, ought rather to take away his powerIf we are right in our view, and happiness is assumed to be virtuous activity, the active life will be the best, both for every city collectively, and for individuals. (!)11. In other words, the discussion is inconclusive, though more realistic, acknowledging the benefits of both action and contemplation. Aristotle discusses the (obvious) need for action-by an individual or by a class of individuals in a state. People require food and arts for creating the "instruments" necessary for life. Arms are required "in order to maintain authority both against disobedient subjects and against external assailants".12 There must be revenue or earnings, "care of religion", and finally "a power of deciding what is for the public interest, and what is just in men's dealings with one another." For all these, action is necessary. And in a state "there must be husbandmen to procure food, and artisans, and a warlike and a wealthy class, and priests, and judges to decide what is necessary and expedient."13 To perform all these functions "the state ought to be divided into classes."14 Happiness which consists in the "the realization and perfect exercise of virtue (is) not conditional, but absolute."15 'Conditional' is that which is absolutely necessary, and 'absolute' is what is good in itself. To explain the difference between a conditional good and an absolute good Aristotle adds, one "might as well say that a brilliant performance on the lyre was to be attributed to the instrument and not to the skill of the performer"(!)16 In other words, having a good lyre is a necessary condition or an instrument for the achievement of the absolute good, which is the skill of the performer. In order that these conditional goods are available, Aristotle states that the "the care of the body ought to precede that of the soul.none the less our care of it (body) must be for the sake of the reason, and our care of the body for the sake of the soul.17 Thus, although Aristotle does not explicitly state in his Politics that a life of contemplation is better than a life of action, he implies that it is, by stating everywhere that all action is to be geared for the improvement of the soul. In a state, those who act are those who work to create wealth-the slaves, the husbandmen, the traders, and other such people. In a state the ruler who rules politically, but not despotically is like the soul, which regulates all action. The soul rules the body like a master rules a slave, and the intellect rules the appetite like a king rules a city.18 He also adds that "Philosophers are often poor, but only because they are not concerned with business, not because they could not become wealthy."19 Thus, accumulating wealth is not the job of a philosopher. What Aristotle does not very clearly state in his Politics, he states in his Ethics. He says in Book10, Section vii of Ethics that the contemplative life is the most proper to man, and is therefore the happiest. He adds that human activity which is closest to the activity of the gods is the happiest, and from this it follows that contemplation, or activity of the intellect is the most blessed human activity.20 Works Cited Aristotle Politics, (350 BCE), translated Jowett, Benjamin, , retrieved 27th Nov 2007 Aristotle Nicomachean Ethics (350 BCE) translated Ross WD, , retrieved 27 Nov, 2007 Read More