In Defense of Inequality 1: It’s Natural!

In Defense of Inequality 1:It’s Natural! Aristotle’s Politics

Aristotle • Biographical Sketch • The Polis and the Political Stature of Man/Woman • Teleology • Natural Slavery

Aristotle • Biographical Overview • 384-322 B.C.E. • Born in Macedonia, to wealthy parents connected to the royal household • Studied with Plato for 17 years • Tutor to Alexander the Great 343-335 B.C.E. • 335/4 returned to Athens and founded own school – the Lyceum

I. The Polis and the Political Stature of Man/Woman • The Politics is an attempt to understand the essence of political life • Contrast that with Plato’s Republic • Where Plato provided an account of what politics should be, Aristotle grounds that understanding on the facts of “real world” political life

I. The Polis and the Political Stature of Man/Woman “EVERY STATE is a community of some kind, and every community is established with a view to some good; for mankind always act in order to obtain that which they think good. But, if all communities aim at some good, the state or political community, which is the highest of all, and which embraces all the rest, aims at good in a greater degree than any other, and at the highest good… We must therefore look at the elements of which the state is composed, in order that we may see in what the different kinds of rule differ from one another, and whether any scientific result can be attained about each one of them. (Book I, chapter 1).

I. The Polis and the Political Stature of Man/Woman • “We must therefore look at the elements of which the state is composed • Contrast with Plato; importance here of empirical evidence • City => association that aims at highest good • Politics => activity that happens in a city

I. The Polis and the Political Stature of Man/Woman Two ideas we need to develop here: • How do we know the state is the “highest community?” • How do we know what is the “highest good”?

I. The Polis and the Political Stature of Man/Woman • Authoritative Association • Every association aimed at some end • Family (Book I, chp. 2, 1252b) • Town (Book I, chp. 2, 1252b) • City/Polis (Book I chp. 2, 1253a)

I. The Polis and the Political Stature of Man/Woman • The Family • Structure • Two associations: Male/Female Ruler/Ruled End of Family? Reproduction (1st association) “needs of daily life” (2nd association)

I. The Polis and the Political Stature of Man/Woman • The Village • Structure • Groupings of families • End of the village? Reproduction “needs of daily life”

I. The Polis and the Political Stature of Man/Woman The City • S Structure: • G Groupings of villages (Book 1, chp. 2) • E End of the city? • R Reproduction? • “ needs of daily life? End of the city = not just life or living, but living the “good life.”

I. The Polis and the Political Stature of Man/Woman • The Polis: “When several villages are united in a single complete community, large enough to be nearly or quite self-sufficing, the state comes into existence, originating in the bare needs of life, and continuing in existence for the sake of a good life.”(Book 1, chp. 2. 1252b).

Authoritative Association • Authoritative Association • The authoritative or sovereign association is one that decides the aims of other (smaller or constitutive) associations • Thus the polis exists prior to the individual

I. The Polis and the Political Stature of Man/Woman • Authoritative Association: “Further, the state is by nature clearly prior to the family and to the individual, since the whole is of necessity prior to the part; for example, if the whole body be destroyed, there will be no foot or hand, except in an equivocal sense, as we might speak of a stone hand; for when destroyed the hand will be no better than that…The proof that the state is a creation of nature and prior to the individual is that the individual, when isolated, is not self-sufficing; and therefore he is like a part in relation to the whole. (Book 1, chp. 2, 1253b).

I. The Polis and the Political Stature of Man/Woman “But he who is unable to live in society, or who has no need because he is sufficient for himself, must be either a beast or a god: he is no part of a state.” (Book 1, chap. 2, 1253b).

I. The Polis and the Political Stature of Man/Woman • Virtue is that aspect of something that enables it to develop itself and to achieve its final end. • Virtuous person is one with properties that enable him/her to develop fully human capacities. • Good polis, then, is one which fosters virtue. • Polis is the authoritative good since it allows for the development of our fully human capacities.

I. The Polis and the Political Stature of Man/Woman “For what each thing is when fully developed, we call its nature, whether we are speaking of a man, a horse, or a family. Besides, the final cause and end of a thing is the best, and to be self-sufficing is the end and the best. Hence it is evident that the state is a creation of nature, and that man is by nature a political animal. ” (Book 1, chp. 2, 1253a)

I. The Polis and the Political Stature of Man/Woman • Aristotle’s View of the Polisvs. Modern Conceptions • Today we view politics as a means of insuring private good • We use politics for selfish ends • For Aristotle, man is a political animal, political life is part of the individual

I. The Polis and the Political Stature of Man/Woman • Politics means getting together in public and deciding what we ought to do • this activity allows for development of virtue where virtue is a public activity • How do we know the essence of human species? “He who thus considers things in their first growth and origin, whether a state or anything else, will obtain the clearest view of them. (Book 1, chp. 2) Need to develop this idea more fully

II. Teleology • Everything in nature is ordered, exists for a purpose • Everything has a nature, and built into each nature is an end (telos) • Acorn example, again • How to know end? • Observation • How to know what to observe?

II. Teleology “It is in things whose condition is according to nature that one ought particularly to investigate what is by nature, not in things that are defective. Thus the human being to be studied is one whose state is best both in body and in soul…” (Book 1, chp. 5, 1254a)

II. Teleology • Man -- in right sort of polis -- can grow to be “full” human where “full” means achieving full human potential • Contrast with contemporary conceptions where politics is private; a means to secure private interest • For Aristotle, the private is simply a means to sustain politics. Politics is what is really important, so need to subordinate private life to public life

II. Teleology Politics is a public activity indeed it is the activity which distinguishes us from other social animals What is politics? Why is it special?

II. Teleology • Politics is: • Activity where people decide and then act on the decision • Based on rational persuasion, not coercion • (logos =speaking = only possible with other humans) • Our humanity is only attainable in political setting

II. Teleology “One who is incapable of participating or who is in need of nothing through being self-sufficient is no part of a city, and so is either a beast or a god” (Book 1, chp. 2, 1253a). • Conducted only between equals

II. Teleology Our humanity is attainable only in the polis Raises question: who should be included in politics?

III. Natural Slavery • Recall Point II.1: Nature has an order • Order is hierarchical

The Chain of Being pond scum

The Chain of Being insects pond scum

The Chain of Being reptiles insects pond scum

The Chain of Being mammals reptiles insects pond scum

The Chain of Being human beings mammals reptiles insects pond scum

III. Natural Slavery • Why should we suddenly become standardless as we cross human threshold? • No reason for egalitarianism • Not everybody is able to take care of themselves so ...

III. Natural Slavery • Slavery, under the right conditions, is natural • Slavery is just insofar as some people are slaves by nature • Slavery indispensable to good polis • Politics is a leisure activity

III. Natural Slavery • Unless we have one class permanently engaged in producing the sustenance necessary for life, nobody is able to attain the good life and thus to achieve the proper end of the species. • Question of how to distribute burdens of labor and leisure • Slaves do all the manual work, masters develop into “full” human beings • Good polis needs slaves

IV. Conclusion & Segue • What is the good polis? • How would we determine the nature of the good polis?

In Defense of Inequality 1: It’s Natural!