Politics

Aristotle’s Politics is meant to be read along with Nicomachean Ethics, coming together to formulate Aristotle’s political treatise. Nicomachean Ethics is comprised of Aristotle’s lectures at the Lyceum on the right way to live. The philosopher argues that all humans seek the same purpose: to achieve happiness. He postulates that the only way to achieve happiness is through right action, or virtue. Right action is obtained through intentional choices which seek moderation between two vices. For Aristotle, all virtues are sandwiched between extremities which do not contribute to goodness. For example, courage is the mean between recklessness and overcautiousness. His views about moderation translate to his views about politics. The philosopher suggests that, in all things, a governing body must practice restraint and discipline. Constitutions which promote some virtues over others are unbalanced and vulnerable to fracture.

Aristotle’s teacher Plato saw the world through theoretical knowledge. Plato relied on the senses to influence his philosophy. Aristotle was more scientific. His study of political models is an attempt to answer the following question: Which type of political constitution best contributes to individual happiness? Aristotle collected data from over 150 cities to determine what types of government align with his established views on ethics.