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Politics

by Aristotle

3.71 · rating details · 3,053 ratings · 85 reviews

Intellectually stimulating work describes the ideal state and ponders how it can bring about the most desirable life for its citizens. Both heavily influenced by and critical of Plato's Republic and Laws, Politics is the distillation of a lifetime of thought and observation. The great Benjamin Jowett translation.

Paperback, thrift, 355 pages

Published November 15th 2000 by Dover Publications (first published -350)

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Jul 04, 2010

Jeremy added it · review of another edition

Shelves: philosophy, politics

This is quite a turn away from the optimistic "we can figure it all out" tone of the Nicomachean Ethics. In trying to confront both what a state is and how it functions, he creates this weird/insidious master/slave hierarchy, expanding it to encompass children, women, basically anyone who isn't a member of the Athenian aristocracy. While this in and of itself isn't really shocking considering how the typical greek polis maintained and grew it's own power (i.e. going to war, stealing wo...more

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Jan 19, 2009

Keegan added it

Shelves: classics, greek, philosophy, politics

I can't give a rating to Aristotle's Politics.

That being said, Aristotle's political philosophy runs on a horrendously fallacious naturalistic track, leading him to bizarre conclusions about...everything.

It was perhaps useful as a way of solidifying my conceptions of the wheelings and dealings of classical-era poleis, especially having read this alongside Thucydides, where the abstract, nuanced comparisons Aristotle makes between direct democracy and oligarchy find ground...more

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Jul 26, 2011

Robert Davis added it

Aristotle speaks through the ages in his classic Politics. Many of his observations, especially those on education, were prescient and are as relevant today as they were 2400 years ago. Aristotle examines different kinds of government and the advantages and dangers of each. He includes insight into many of the problems of democratic government that would be left unsolved for 2000 years- and some of which that are still unsolved. Aristotle predicts the dangers of socialism and communism, but ...more

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Oct 18, 2011

Venus rated it

Shelves: political, philosophy

The reason why there are many forms of government is that every state contains many elements. In the first place we see that all states are made up of families, and in the multitude of citizen there must be some rich and some poor, and some in a middle condition; the rich are heavy-armed, and the poor not. Of the common people, some are husbandmen, and some traders, and some artisans. There are also among the notables differences of wealth and property- for example, in the number of horses which...moreThe reason why there are many forms of government is that every state contains many elements. In the first place we see that all states are made up of families, and in the multitude of citizen there must be some rich and some poor, and some in a middle condition; the rich are heavy-armed, and the poor not. Of the common people, some are husbandmen, and some traders, and some artisans. There are also among the notables differences of wealth and property- for example, in the number of horses which they keep, for they cannot afford to keep them unless they are rich. And therefore in old times the cities whose strength lay in their cavalry were oligarchies, and they used cavalry in wars against their neighbors; as was the practice of the Eretrians and Chalcidians, and also of the Magnesians on the river Maeander, and of other peoples in Asia. Besides differences of wealth there are differences of rank and merit, and there are some other elements which were mentioned by us when in treating of aristocracy we enumerated the essentials of a state. Of these elements, sometimes all, sometimes the lesser and sometimes the greater number, have a share in the government. It is evident then that there must be many forms of government, differing in kind, since the parts of which they are composed differ from each other in kind. For a constitution is an organization of offices, which all the citizens distribute among themselves, according to the power which different classes possess, for example the rich or the poor, or according to some principle of equality which includes both. There must therefore be as many forms of government as there are modes of arranging the offices, according to the superiorities and differences of the parts of the state.
There are generally thought to be two principal forms: as men say of the winds that there are but two- north and south, and that the rest of them are only variations of these, so of governments there are said to be only two forms- democracy and oligarchy. For aristocracy is considered to be a kind of oligarchy, as being the rule of a few, and the so-called constitutional government to be really a democracy, just as among the winds we make the west a variation of the north, and the east of the south wind. Similarly of musical modes there are said to be two kinds, the Dorian and the Phrygian; the other arrangements of the scale are comprehended under one or other of these two. About forms of government this is a very favorite notion. But in either case the better and more exact way is to distinguish, as I have done, the one or two which are true forms, and to regard the others as perversions, whether of the most perfectly attempered mode or of the best form of government: we may compare the severer and more overpowering modes to the oligarchical forms, and the more relaxed and gentler ones to the democratic.(less)

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Jul 28, 2011

Tim rated it

I personally find it tough to do any sort of a review on the classics, as just about everything that can be said about a 2400 year old treatise has probably been said. However, like scripture, everyone has their own interpretation of these kinds of documents from antiquity. The interpretations, like any reading, have to do with the culture and time in which one was raised, the society and government around them, as well as one’s age and any previous influential readings and/or life experience. T...moreI personally find it tough to do any sort of a review on the classics, as just about everything that can be said about a 2400 year old treatise has probably been said. However, like scripture, everyone has their own interpretation of these kinds of documents from antiquity. The interpretations, like any reading, have to do with the culture and time in which one was raised, the society and government around them, as well as one’s age and any previous influential readings and/or life experience. These previous influences allow a “horizontal” approach to interpretation, where one incorporates many different impressions into the present document.

“The Politics of Aristotle” is a link in the evolutionary process of social and political development. Like Plato’s “Republic”, Aristotle considers the concept of justice in this treatise. First, we must define justice, and then we must figure out the best way to enact justice. It is important to remember when dealing with the classics that we are looking at an attempt to tie down a “universal” (itself a tricky word) into a specific place and time. Everyone generally agrees that “justice” is what is “right”. However, conditioning of various types will influence HOW justice looks when pen is put to paper.

The area in which I believe Aristotle to have the greatest wisdom is in his descriptions of human nature (and how to approach justice WITH this human nature in mind). “Men who don’t have control of their own passions will fail to serve their own interests.” “We always prefer what we come across first.” “Men are always wanting something more and are never content until they get to infinity.” “Ambition and avarice are exactly the motives which lead men to commit nearly all intentional crimes.”

Through my recent dialogue with those residing in the East, it is apparent to me that much of Western philosophy is late in its realization of some universal truths. The conflict of opposites is a universal concept. Moderation as a necessity for “goodness” is a universal concept. This would coincide with the idea of “Non-dualism” that has been around for thousands of years in the Far East. Aristotle attempts to broach these topics through more of an exterior view. For example, he uses the analogy of the “perfection of the nose”. A nose that is “extremely” straight, or “extremely” symmetrical in all areas would eventually become so “extreme” as to not even appear to be a nose. It would morph into something else, if you will. That is an example of dualistic thinking. Extremes in anything produce the opposite of what one is trying to achieve. Moderation, looking at all sides of an issue, eradicating dogmatic thinking, are all ways to avoid these extremes.

Modern Capitalistic thought has grasped onto Aristotle’s ideas of distributive justice, aristocracy, and his negation or downplaying of apparent class conflicts to justify certain actions. What Aristotle has not and could not consider is all the complexities of modern times. Race, a global economy, and our current belief in the equality of ALL men do not mix with Aristotelian thought. Plato had a much better grasp on class conflict with the idea of the state being TWO states…that of the rich and that of the poor. Although Aristotle DID acknowledge that: “Poverty is the cause of the defects of democracy.” He adds: “That is why measures should be taken to ensure a permanent level of prosperity.”

The eloquence of describing the life of the interior is perhaps the part of “The Politics” which struck me the greatest. "Thought is an activity as much as action itself, and it may even be more of an activity than action is. The self-contained individual...may be busily active: the activity of God and the universe is that of a self-contained life." This statement coincided well with one that Aristotle had mentioned in “Rhetoric”, where he states that: “The more I am by myself and alone, the fonder I have become of myths.” This seems to indicate that Aristotle may have had an idea, even if he couldn’t name it, of the inherent need for a “god-image” in the nature of man.

Philosophy as defined by the ancient Greeks IS wisdom. Therefore it is in itself a universal as wisdom is all-encompassing. Man’s attempt to make sense of universals containing many expressions is one of the great challenges of living. For me, it has also brought about the realization that we are all looking for the same thing in the end. Approaching others WITH that knowledge is more conducive to dialogue and to greater understanding…which creates a better life for all of us.(less)

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Jan 10, 2011

Cody rated it

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Come on Aristotle! You really wrote a lame book man. I'm gonna have to go read Plato's Republic to shake the funk out. I mean hey, I know you're supposed to be one of the world's greatest thinkers and you were the founder of formal logic and all. But dude, your ethics suck. What the jazz are you talking about in this book about how everyone needs to be ruled, and those who lack the rationality to rule themselves need to be ruled by others?

I mean, I guess that ends up happening to peop...more

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Jan 31, 2008

Jared rated it

I loved reading this with the question of what is the ideal society and how do you obtain happiness? It was interesting to see Aristotles answers to these questions. I also enjoyed seeing how he argues his idea that happiness is the absence of pain and that money is in charge of getting rid of pain. Even though I do not agree with it that idea has effected the way that many think of happiness

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Dec 31, 2010

Galicius rated it

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Shelves: greek, list-for-people-desiring-higher-edu, philosophy, political-science

Book I

Communities and states are established to bring the greatest good to its members. Qualifications of a king and master or householder are not the same as some (Plato) think. It’s not just the number of subjects they have to deal with. A statesman is also different and he rules when citizens set up a government and rule by political science. But there are different kinds of rule.

Aristotle goes no to consider the relationship between master and slave, absolute and rela...more

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Feb 01, 2011

C. P. rated it

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Recommends it for: students of political science

What is remarkable is how little has changed in the conservative and liberal positions since Aristotle. Some of it reads like it came from a recent blog.

My interest in finishing reading this classic is to provide some context for my discussion of the polis and the oikos in the second and, hopefully soon, first published edition of my book "Popular Capitalism". The treatment of the oikos was superficial and none of analysis applied to the polis was used in a deeper analysis o...more

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Jan 18, 2012

Jonathan Karmel rated it

In Politics, Aristotle theorized that in a perfect world, a monarchy would be a benevolent dictatorship, an aristocracy would be rule by the virtuous and democracy would be rule by the people. But because of human frailty, monarchy actually becomes tyranny, aristocracy actually becomes oligarchy and pure democracy actually becomes mob rule. The practical solution is a form of government that mixes elements of a single ruler, rule by the few and majority rule.

This idea survived and ev...more

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Oct 12, 2011

Koba St. rated it

Shelves: law-school

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 17, 2011

Amira Hosam rated it

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talks about state of nature and how to set "state" ,how to set laws and types of government and which type is the best ? also talks about human nature and how to make it good by education, proper upbringing and music .
may be it is long book , contains many names and many details which need specialist in political sciences or philosophy but u can get also usefulness from it by knowing types of governments, how to make human nature better also the main target is " that book wi...more

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Aug 13, 2011

E.C. McCarthy rated it

Shelves: top-shelf

The shocking revelation of Aristotle's Politics is that it stands as a near perfect mirror of modern society's political discourse. Aristotle first addresses the definitions of various forms of governments (tyrannies, oligarchies, democracies, etc.), then lays out the possible intentions and purposes of government, and describes their suitability to specific city-states in existence in the 300s BC. In this way, he balances theory with reality, and acknowledges the imperfections of all forms of g...moreThe shocking revelation of Aristotle's Politics is that it stands as a near perfect mirror of modern society's political discourse. Aristotle first addresses the definitions of various forms of governments (tyrannies, oligarchies, democracies, etc.), then lays out the possible intentions and purposes of government, and describes their suitability to specific city-states in existence in the 300s BC. In this way, he balances theory with reality, and acknowledges the imperfections of all forms of government in relation to their creators and enforcers, be they leaders, royalty or the masses. A great deal of Politics refers to civic duty, and the final chapters delve into citizenry and education. It's altogether surprising that the final few pages are devoted entirely to music, what kind of music a citizen should learn and listen to, what instruments should be studied, how bold the music should be, etc. (Note that Politics is likely an incomplete work, so perhaps Aristotle intended to round out his discourse with a more appropriate ending than "The Power of Music," although I found it refreshing and ripe with opportunity to infer deeper meaning.)

It would be deceptively easy to dismiss Politics as obsolete based purely on his treatment of women and slaves (both are essentially property; they serve a purpose, but that purpose is hardly representative of modern, individualist values.) In reading past the bigotry, there is an amazing, constant revelation in this treatise: civilization continues to ask the same questions, turn up the same answers, make the same mistakes, and grow incredibly slowly, if at all. In the arena of politics, we (global "we") are fundamentally no different today than we were thousands of years ago. The question that Aristotle's Politics then answers is not "what is the best form of government" but "what government should each citizenry live with?" Given America's constant assertion that democracy is best, this book stokes the debate by suggesting that democracy may be best for us, based on our self-defined values, but is it necessarily best for everyone? Further, using Aristotle's unemotional, unbiased definitions, it's clear that America isn't actually a democracy at all. We are therefore advocating a system of government for other countries that we ourselves cannot uphold.

Anyone with a desire to understand America's current turmoil without emotional rhetoric muddying the water will enjoy this book. It's written with elegant simplicity and is accessible to the widest spectrum of readers.(less)

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Jul 03, 2010

Bryan added it · review of another edition

The irony of me calling Aristotle's work average is not lost on me.: Yep, I feel way over my head giving Aristotle three stars, but I'm throwing in my two cents anyhow.

This book is an incredible window into another time. Aristotle's views on a number of topics (women and slavery come quickly to mind) stand out so opposed to our beliefs today that it's almost worth reading this book just to get some perspective on how new some of the social ideas we take for granted really are. Getting that sen...more

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Jul 05, 2010

Matt rated it

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The final thought that Aristotle leaves us in Nicomachean Ethics is the main source of tension in The Politics. The goal of existence in Nicomachean Ethics is happiness which can be achieved through the contemplative life, but Aristotle is rooted in Greek culture and cannot conceive of happiness outside the city-state. His opening line in The Politics sets his baseline:

Since we see that every city is some sort of partnership, and that every partnership is constituted for the sake of some goo

...moreThe final thought that Aristotle leaves us in Nicomachean Ethics is the main source of tension in The Politics. The goal of existence in Nicomachean Ethics is happiness which can be achieved through the contemplative life, but Aristotle is rooted in Greek culture and cannot conceive of happiness outside the city-state. His opening line in The Politics sets his baseline:

Since we see that every city is some sort of partnership, and that every partnership is constituted for the sake of some good (for everyone does everything for the sake of what is held to be good), it is clear that all partnerships aim at some good, and that the partnership that is most authoritative of all and embraces all the others does so particularly, and aims at the most authoritative good of all. This is what is called the city or political partnership. Pg. 36/ 1252al.

The city is thus the vehicle for goodness (aka virtue) which leads to the contemplative life and therefore happiness.

Aristotle, like all of us, cannot escape all of his societal conditioning. This foundational belief that the city is a partnership designed to lead to good is grounded in the oft-quoted “man is a political animal“ or, more accurately, “man is much more a political animal than any kind of bee or and herd of animal is clear.” Pg. 37. An idea Marx latched onto. This lack of separation between the individual’s pursuit of contemplation and study and natural social tendencies is the underlying principle of The Politics. This is not a political book espousing freedom, productivity or the perpetuation of some other code. It is about constructing a state designed to survive and permit its citizens leisure.

Since the end is evidently the same for human beings both in common and privately, and there must necessarily be the same defining principle for the best man and the best regime, it is evident that the virtues directed to leisure should be present; for, as has been said repeatedly, peace is the end of war, and leisure of occupations. Pg. 222/VII ch.15; 10-15.

Much of what is contained within its pages is not meant to be a theoretical rendering of government. Aristotle spends considerable time attacking the flaws he sees in Plato’s Republic and Laws. Just as Nicomachean Ethics was a book about “practical” ethics, The Politics is about “practical” politics. Again, Aristotle sees great value in the mean as a way of traversing problems that arise at the extremes of political positions. He puts great value on the middle class as a stabilizing force and a way to undercut discontent. Aristotle’s goal is to minimize corruption, maximize stability and encourage correct thinking which is thinking that sees value in the contemplative life. Unlike Plato, he refuses to ignore what he perceives as the realistic consequences of division of property and labor. Poorly apportioned equity can lead to sloth and discontent.

Overall, if Aristotle was alive today, he’s the guy behind the scenes as some presidential advisor. He has an idea of what government should do, but he refuses to let his ideals rule his actions. He compares other forms of government, what’s worked, what hasn’t worked, and comes to a thoughtful analysis of what will get him closest to his goal of happiness. Few will probably read The Politics and come away with any great insights into governance, but Aristotle’s method is admirable. Though not above his times, he is a masterful deliberator of his times.

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Jun 03, 2010

Rowland Bismark rated it

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In many ways, the Politics is a companion volume to the “Nicomachean Ethics”, in which Aristotle defines a life of good quality and sets about describing how it should be achieved. The Politics, to a large extent, is an effort to describe the kind of political association that would best facilitate the ends described in the Ethics.

However, the Politics is not subservient to the Ethics. Aristotle's claim is not that cities must exist to serve the ends of individuals. Rather, he claims...moreIn many ways, the Politics is a companion volume to the “Nicomachean Ethics”, in which Aristotle defines a life of good quality and sets about describing how it should be achieved. The Politics, to a large extent, is an effort to describe the kind of political association that would best facilitate the ends described in the Ethics.

However, the Politics is not subservient to the Ethics. Aristotle's claim is not that cities must exist to serve the ends of individuals. Rather, he claims that individuals are to a large extent defined by the cities they live in and that man can be fully human (i.e. fully rational) only by participating in the city. The city is a complete whole and each individual is a mere part. The city is thus more important than the individual.

The tension between practical and speculative reasoning is central to the Politics. Practical reasoning is necessary for political and social matters, while speculative reasoning is necessary for theoretical and philosophical problems. Ultimately, Aristotle concludes in both the Ethics and the Politics that speculative reasoning is superior, as it is through a proper exercise of this faculty that man achieves true happiness

Whereas Aristotle views the exercise of speculative reasoning as and end in itself, he considers the exercise of practical reasoning an integral means to this end. Because an individual cannot learn to exercise his reason properly outside the confines of the city, and because the city is able to function only as a result of man's practical reasoning, practical reasoning is thus a prerequisite for the exercise of speculative reasoning.

Interestingly, Aristotle never concerns himself with questions of how much authority the state should have over the individual. A central question of modern political philosophy is the extent to which the state should be able to impose itself on the freedom of the individual. This question would not have made sense to Aristotle because he saw the goal of the city and the goal of the individual as identical. While his assertion—that the individual is only a subservient part of the state—might seem mildly totalitarian, his view was that the individual could have no truly rational needs or interests outside the confines of the state. As a result, it would be absurd to desire any kind of individual freedom in opposition to the state.

"Justice" might seem an odd term for what is essentially the right to hold more distinguished public offices. It is important to remember, however, that in a Greek city-state, serving in public office was essential to citizenship and was a high distinction. Further, those who occupied places of high distinction were more likely to enjoy other benefits as well.

Aristotle's method, here and elsewhere, is largely descriptive. He conducts extensive surveys of the different forms of government and theory and his own theory is less of a creative endeavor than Plato's in the “Republic”. Rather, it is a series of recommendations based on what he has observed. None of Aristotle's practical advice is particularly novel; his insights are more a synthesis of analyses by a man who has studied politics extensively.

***

Though the Politics ends quite abruptly with the discussion of some minor points of interest in regard to music, there is no reason to believe that some further section of the text has been lost. The Politics was compiled as lecture notes from the courses Aristotle taught at the Lyceum and was not intended for publication. The likely explanation for this ending, then, is that it marks the end of a specific lecture, though Aristotle perhaps taught further topics in political theory at another time.
Aristotle's firm stance against any kind of skill or knowledge that comes to be utilized for someone else's sake epitomizes his means-end dichotomy. Practical reasoning serves the entire city, of which each individual is a part, and speculative reasoning serves one's own happiness; each type of reasoning has its end in the self. When an individual engages in an activity whose end is to please others, such as playing music, however, that individual becomes a means for others to achieve leisure, ceasing to be an end in himself.

The aristocratic amateurism that Aristotle espouses evidences his elitist conception of class differences. Citizens should look down upon musicians and other such practitioners of arts because they practice their skill for the sake of others. Aristotle considers these practitioners simply a means for citizens to the end of leisure. As such, he inherently disparages the value of art for its own sake and the importance of art as self-expression—two notions integral to the modern conception of the self. Of course, ancient Greece was very different from the modern world. Citizens felt contempt for non-citizen manual laborers because their existence had worth only in the service of others. Their skills were not ends in themselves but rather means to others' ends.

Aristotle's discussion of music is difficult to understand for a number of reasons. Foremost among these is that very little is known about what Greek music actually sounded like. Historians know what instruments the Greeks played and that they based their melodies on different modal arrangements, which they felt were expressive of different states of character or emotion. Historians also know that music was very important to the Greeks: they felt that certain harmonies were divine and that music could express character and moral virtues better than any other medium. Aristotle believes that music can serve moral purposes because it can, quite literally, "represent" states of character just as paintings can represent trees and houses. By representing a virtuous character, music can serve as a very powerful tool for moral instruction.(less)

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Aug 12, 2010

Chris rated it

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Shelves: greek-philosophy

This was my first political science book, and I was surprised to see it becoming a real page turner after the first two hundred pages. I had no idea how important the middle group of people are in a state. I don't know how much this corresponds to the present, but you hear on the news how the middle class is disappearing, the rich are getting richer and the poorer are getting poorer, and now all of a sudden there is cause for alarm because Aristotle says this is how nations become unraveled!
...moreThis was my first political science book, and I was surprised to see it becoming a real page turner after the first two hundred pages. I had no idea how important the middle group of people are in a state. I don't know how much this corresponds to the present, but you hear on the news how the middle class is disappearing, the rich are getting richer and the poorer are getting poorer, and now all of a sudden there is cause for alarm because Aristotle says this is how nations become unraveled!

The entire time Aristotle was talking about the ideal state, I really got the feeling of where he considered himself in the hierarchy - as part of the elite. He talked about the polity but to me it felt like he was placating to the poor and middle class so as to maintain the current system, and not for the sake of it being the best state. A good example would be when he talked about farmers not having the time to work in government versus the rich who do, so the rich will rule and the poor and middle classes will be able to scrutinize without having the time or resources to get involved. It seems this is a more practical way to look at a society. We want to believe that we live in a place where everyone has a vote and we're all equal, but like Aristotle says, we're not equal. People with money and education are worth more to a state than a poor person with no education.

Well that's kind of depressing. Reading this book makes me want to hide in the comfort of eastern philosophy where we are all one, where the illusion of ego and status melt away and all we are left with is a single consciousness.

What else. There are a lot of subjects to tackle after reading this book, but I'll stop here. I admire what Aristotle was able to put together. On a separate note, in Plato's "Crito", Socrates provides his reasons for not fleeing Athens after the court decided to put him to death. I wonder what Aristotle's argument would have been (I want the 'sin against philosophy' argument flushed out) for running away. I don't know why, but at a basic level Socrates seems to have more virtue for staying and facing death.
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Apr 21, 2011

Alexander rated it

Almost even worse than Plato in my opinion, but I might be biased since I did not read this book voluntarily - my studies required it. I think these Greek philosophers and their endless writings are just not my cup of tea somehow.

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Jan 26, 2012

Rhyan rated it

In the Politics, Aristotle, like Plato before him and Socrates before him, proves himself superior in the art of pseudo-rational pedantry and pontificating speculation. There are some interesting ideas presented, some potentially good and some just humorous. Like most writings of this nature, this books best trait is to get you thinking and flexing brain muscles, particularly as it pertains to government in this case. There wasn't anything in particular about this book that made it 4 star worthy...more

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Dec 10, 2010

Elizabeth Moon rated it

Foundation reading. Of Aristotle's works, this is the one I re-read the least often, but it's still a very important work in building an understanding of what undergirds political systems.

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Sep 13, 2011

Steven Salaita rated it

Aristotle was a highly intelligent and compelling thinker. This is a good place to begin for those interested in learning more about Western political and cultural theory.

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Aug 17, 2008

Bri rated it

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Shelves: serious-works, political-philosophy, ancient-philosophy

Aristotle's Politics is an excellent book to read anytime, but its especially appropriate with the upcoming elections. He points out several obivous things that were not quite so obvious to me until I was reminded of them, like the possibility that you are in some part a reflection of the regime under which you live, that man is a political animal, and that speech, choice, and persuasion are in a unique relationship to one another. One of the best aspects of the book is the description of the ...more

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Dec 24, 2010

SFC_Hadley rated it

Needs updating due to the way politicians morph over the years they stay in office. Better yet. The book would be great if we passed term limits

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Aug 07, 2011

Jon rated it

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An amazing read. It was interesting to see Aristotle trying to be a pragmatist when he is philosophizing about the ideal state (utopia).

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Sep 06, 2008

Shad rated it

This is a pretty good read. He has some very interesting ideas on politics and what legislators should consider - very involved in personal lives (e.g., religious worship, marriage and child rearing). Some of the things he says are extremely offensive by today's standards and some things are downright hilarious (like saying legislators should take precautions against large discrepancies in age and then states the ideal ages for marrying are 18 for a female and 37 for a male). I did like this ...more

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Aug 11, 2011

Neil Jenkins rated it

Hard to read. Small bits of wisdom worth extracting here and there. Much preferred the Ethics.

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Jul 18, 2011

Robert rated it

I read this when I was 12. I found it very interesting then. Maybe I should reread it now. Hmm.

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Jan 10, 2012

Colin Bruce Milne rated it

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Was a good read from my days in Major Theories of the State course in Waikato University.

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Mar 29, 2010

K rated it

Shelves: classics

Contains Aristotle's ideas for what governments work best. He personally would love a benevolent monarchy, but thinks the most workable government form in the real world is a mixture of oligarchic & democratic forms, with as much power as possible held by the middle class. Also, he really believes in slavery (some people's natures are just better suited to being slaves, he says), and harshes on Sparta for giving too much power to women. Because don't they know women need to stay in the house bec...more

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May 21, 2009

Juan Pablo rated it

Shelves: partially-read

Sin duda, una pieza clave de la teoría política; muchas de las ideas planteadas aquí por Aristóteles resuenan hasta nuestros días.
Uno al leer, a la vez que comparte muchas cosas, se molesta por otras (lo que es inevitable: pertenecemos a otra cultura) como la justificación de la esclavitud o la inferioridad de la mujer.
Aún así, tiene el típico estilo de Aristóteles, muy sistemático, pero por lo tanto, bastante pesado a ratos (nunca logró igualar a su maestro Platón en calidad...more

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About Aristotle

Aristotle (Greek: Ἀριστοτέλης, Aristotélēs) (384 BC – 322 BC) was a Greek philosopher, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. He wrote on many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, politics, government, ethics, biology and zoology.

Together with Plato and Socrates (Plato's teacher), Aristotle is one of the most important found...more

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Quotes from Politics

“Nature does nothing uselessly.” — 23 people liked it

“Man is by nature a political animal.” — 4 people liked it

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