The Political Thought Of Plato And Aristotle

Cogent exposition of Greek political thought offers a comprehensive exploration of the works of Plato and Aristotle and examines state power, nature of political organization, citizenship, justice, and related concepts.

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In this book, Kevin M. Cherry compares the views of Plato and Aristotle about the practice, study, and, above all, the purpose of politics. The first scholar to place Aristotle's Politics in sustained dialogue with Plato's Statesman, Cherry argues that Aristotle rejects the view of politics advanced by Plato's Eleatic Stranger, contrasting them on topics such as the proper categorization of regimes, the usefulness and limitations of the rule of law, and the proper understanding of phronēsis. The various differences between their respective political philosophies, however, reflect a more fundamental difference in how they view the relationship of human beings to the natural world around them. Reading the Politics in light of the Statesman sheds new light on Aristotle's political theory and provides a better understanding of Aristotle's criticism of Socrates. Most importantly, it highlights an enduring and important question: Should politics have as its primary purpose the preservation of life, or should it pursue the higher good of living well?

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1906 edition. Excerpt: ... In conclusion, it may be suggested that the history of Plato's influence on political and social thought is to be seen, not only in the history of his writings, but also in the history of the writings of Aristotle. The pupil exercised a far greater influence than his master, but the master had set his mark deeply on the pupil, and the influence of the pupil was also that of the master. If men for centuries applied the doctrine of Final Causes to politics--if they conceived of the State as a moral institution--if they distinguished selfish governments from governments that were unselfish, and taught that every shepherd should seek the "common weal " of his flock--were they not following Plato, who had first taught all these things? We have spoken of Hegel under the rubric of the influence of the Politics; it would have been wiser, perhaps, to detect in Hegel the fulfilment of the influence of the Republic.1 education. "He looks forward to a new mode of education, which is to be a study of nature, and not of Aristotle." A peculiarity of his system is his belief in the efficacy of allegorical paintings, with which the seven circuits of the walls of his city are to be decorated. Another feature is a system of confession to the authorities, by which they are kept informed of all that the citizens are thinking and doing. This reminds one of a casual suggestion of Plato in the Laws (supra, p. 204). 1 Similarly, Rousseau may be regarded as indebted to Plato--the Plato of the -Laics--in his Contrat Uncial. His attitude towards the influence of the sea, his conception of the size of the proper State, his belief in a legislator --all these find their parallels, if not their origins, in the Laics. (Gf. Morley, Life of Rousseau, p. 313.) A INDEX...