The PoliticsTwenty-three centuries after its compilation, 'The Politics' still has much to contribute to this central question of political science. Aristotle's thorough and carefully argued analysis is based on a study of over 150 city constitutions, covering a huge range of political issues in order to establish which types of constitution are best - both ideally and in particular circumstances - and how they may be maintained. Aristotle's opinions form an essential background to the thinking of philosophers such as Thomas Aquinas, Machiavelli and Jean Bodin and both his premises and arguments raise questions that are as relevant to modern society as they were to the ancient world. |
Contents
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS | |
The State Exists by Nature | |
BOOK II | |
Spartan Women | |
Some Further Criticisms | |
Criticism of the Carthaginian Constitution | |
Sources of Constitutional Change | |
Sources of Constitutional Change | |
The Immediate Occasions of Constitutional Change | |
Why Democracies are Overthrown | |
Why Oligarchies are Overthrown | |
The Causes of Factions in Aristocracies | |
How Constitutions May be Preserved | |
How Constitutions May be Preserved | |
Solon and Some Other Lawgivers | |
BOOK III | |
How Should We Define Citizen? | |
A Pragmatic Definition of Citizen | |
Continuity of Identity of the State | |
How Far Should the Good Man and the Good Citizen be Distinguished? | |
Ought Workers to be Citizens? | |
Correct and Deviated Constitutions Distinguished | |
Classification of Correct and Deviated Constitutions | |
An Economic Classification of Constitutions | |
The Just Distribution of Political Power | |
Justice and Sovereignty | |
The Wisdom of Collective Judgements | |
Justice and Equality | |
The Sole Proper Claim to Political Power | |
Five Types of Kingship | |
The Relation of Kingship and Law | |
The Relation of Kingship and Law | |
The Highest Form of Kingship | |
The Education of the Ideal King | |
BOOK IV | |
The Tasks of Political Theory | |
Constitutions Placed in Order of Merit | |
Why There are Several Constitutions | |
The Parts of the State and the Classification of Democracies Definitions of Democracy and Oligarchy The Parts of the State and Resulting Variety am... | |
Varieties of Democracy | |
The Classification of Oligarchies | |
Four Types of Democracy and Four of Oligarchy | |
Varieties of Aristocracy | |
Polity Distinguished from Aristocracy | |
Polity as a Mixture of Oligarchy and Democracy | |
Three Forms of Tyranny | |
The Merits of the Middle Constitution | |
Why Democrats and Oligarchs Should Cultivate the Middle Ground | |
Right and Wrong Stratagems to Ensure a Majority for the Constitution | |
The Deliberative Element in the Constitution | |
The Executive Element in the Constitution | |
The Judicial Element in the Constitution | |
BOOK V | |
Equality Justice and Constitutional Change | |
The Origins and Downfall of Monarchy | |
Methods of Preserving Monarchies with Particular Reference to Tyranny | |
The Impermanence of Tyrannies Plato on Constitutional Change | |
BOOK VI | |
How Do Constitutions Function Best? | |
Principles and Practices of Democracies | |
Ways of Achieving Equality | |
The Best Democracy | |
How Democracies May be Preserved | |
The Preservation of Oligarchies | |
A Comprehensive Review of Officialdom | |
BOOK VII | |
The Relation between Virtue and Prosperity | |
The Active Life and the Philosophic Life | |
The Active Life and the Philosophic Life | |
The Size of the Ideal State | |
The Territory of the Ideal State | |
The Importance of the | |
The Influence of Climate | |
Membership and Essential Functions of the State | |
Citizenship and AgeGroups | |
The FoodSupply and the Division of the Territory | |
The Siting and Defence of the City | |
The Siting of Markets Temples and Communal Refectories | |
Happiness as the Aim of the Constitution | |
Education for Citizenship | |
The Proper Education for Cultured Leisure | |
Sex Marriage and Eugenics | |
The Main Periods of Education Censorship | |
BOOK VIII | |
Education as a Public Concern | |
Controversy about the Aims of Education | |
Leisure Distinguished from Play Education in Music | |
The Limits of Physical Training | |
Education in Music | |
Gentlemen versus Players | |
Melodies and Modes in Education | |
SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHIES | |
GLOSSARIES GreekEnglish EnglishGreek | |
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according ancient animals appointed aretē aristocracy Aristotle Aristotle’s Politics association Athens banausos become best constitution better birth body Book called Carthaginian chapter Charondas citizen-body citizens Constitutional Change Cretan Crete democracy and oligarchy democratic deviations discussion election element Ephors equal essential Ethics eudaimonia example exercise fact faction function Greek happiness Hence Hippodamus hold office honour household household-management ideal individual justice kind king kingship Lacedaemonian large number lawgiver legislation leisure live Lycurgus matters means modes monarchy nature Nicomachean Ethics notables Oenotrians oligarchy oligarchy and democracy paragraph Peisistratus Periander persons Phaleas philosophy Phronesis Plato polis politeia poor population possessions possible practice principle property-qualification purpose question reason regard Republic rich rule ruler sense share skill slavery slaves Socrates soul sovereign power Spartan statesman superiority things Thrasybulus translation tyranny tyrant VIII virtue W. D. Ross wealth