Aristotle's Politics

The History of Western Philosophy
Bertrand Russell

Ch. 21 Aristotle's Politics

Aristotle's politics are interesting because of their historical insight into the culture surrounding them. They are not useful for a modern statesman to study to implement something from them.

The State is the highest form of community.

The State is prior to the individual. An individual cannot reach his highest good without functioning within a good state.

"Without law man is the worst of animals" (Russell, 186).

Slavery was natural because some are made to rule and some to be ruled.

Slaves are better off when ruled by masters than if they were free because of their inferior nature. Just like dogs are better off domesticated than feral.

War is justified when the war is waged against those who are inferior and refuse to accept their inferiority. The problem with this theory is it justifies all slavery and the notion that might makes right.

Aristotle was against capitalistic style trade and found the retail trade to be lowly.

Usury was despised. Lending at any profit remained reviled throughout the ancient times right on up to the Reformation.

Aristotle argues against Plato's Utopia. Russell notes that his arguments against Plato are rather weak. "I do not agree with Plato, but if anything could make me do so, it would be Aristotle's arguments against him" (Russell, 189).

Aristotle argues that the greatest crimes come from excess, not want. Nobody becomes a tyrant to avoid being cold.

"A government is good when it aims at the good of the whole community, bad when it cares only
for itself" (Russell, 189).

Three good governments: monarchy, aristocracy & constitutional government.
Three bad governments: tyranny, oligarchy and democracy

External goods being acquired does not create virtue. But, the acquisition of virtue leads to the accumulation of external goods.

Monarchy is the best, followed by aristocracy and then constitutional government. Tyranny is worse than oligarchy. Oligarchy is worse than democracy.

Oligarchy is when the rich rule without a care for the poor. Democracy is when the power is in the hands of the have-nots and they disregard the interest of the rich.

"Democracy, Aristotle says, arises from the belief that men who are equally free should be equal in all respects; oligarchy, from the fact that men who are superior in some respect claim too much. Both have a kind of justice, but not the best kind. 'Therefore both parties, whenever their share in the
government does not accord with their preconceived ideas, stir up revolution'" (Russell, 190).

Three things needed to prevent revolution: government propaganda in education, respect for law and justice being served in law and administration.

Aristotle believed that all men deserved equality according to their proportion. The problems with that are myriad. But, what happens is that virtue, which is difficult to define and quantify becomes connected with money, which is easy to quantify. Thus, in Aristotle's equality according to their proportion will always lead to equality according to their income level.

"All social inequality, in the long run, is inequality of income" (Russell, 191).

Aristotle believes citizens should be the landowning gentry who do not have to work for a living. Tradesmen and merchants need not apply.

Education is reserved for children who can become citizens. Useful arts and trades can be taught to the slaves and lower classes.

Education needs to be catered to the type of government in which the pupils are being taught. Democratic education will thus differ from oligarchical or monarchical.

The purpose of education is virtue, not utility.

"The aim of the State, in his view, is to produce cultured gentlemen - men who combine the aristocratic mentality with love of learning and the arts" (Russell, 194).