Aristotle: Virtue & Vice; Good & Bad Government

1. Aristotle: Virtue & Vice;Good & Bad Government

2. According to Aristotle: Most people are neither completely virtuous (good) or vicious (bad). They are in the middle. Virtuous • They either: • Act with virtue but with difficulty or • Do vicious (bad) things but struggle to act virtuously They need a government that will help them be good. Restrained Unrestrained Vicious Good Bad

3. Good Government Bad Government Aristotle:Forms of Government Monarchy Tyranny decays into (Best) (Worst) “Rule by One” Rule for One Aristocracy decays into Oligarchy (Good) (Worse) Rule for the Few “Rule by the Best” Democracy (Mob Rule) Democracy decays into (Poor) (Bad) Everyone for themselves “Rule by the Many”

4. Good Government Which form of Government does Aristotle prefer?Why? Monarchy “Rule by One” Aristocracy “Rule by the Best” Democracy “Rule by the Many”

5. Why Aristotle prefers Aristocracy • Middle Class- neither very rich nor very poor (balance of interests) • Well Educated (able to use experience in light of reason) • Property Owners (committed to this place, won’t run away) • Should be numerically larger than the rich and the poor combined (balance of power)

6. Presentation Requirements Every person in each group must present their fact sheet and one question At the beginning of the presentation each group must present a creative skit that illustrates one important aspect of their form of government

7. Aristotle divided human behavior into 4 categories, from all good to all bad. Virtuous • Virtuous: Those who easily act with virtue (good) • Continent: Those who act with virtue but with difficulty • Incontinent: Those who do vice (bad) but struggle to act virtuously • Vicious: One who does vice easily Restrained Unrestrained Vicious Good Bad