Aristotle on citizenship5/29/2023 We will also see that in the “best” of constitutions, all free men must participate in public decisions and actions, but not equally because “better” contributions should be recognized, encouraged and rewarded.īook III contains a general discussion of the relation between moral virtue and civic activity. We will see that, according to Aristotle, the two most common ideas of justice are inadequate, yet the claims of each cannot be ignored. In Book III we will see that constitutions can be distinguished by the different conceptions of justice each embodies. It exists for the sake of “noble” actions, fine and good actions. We know that the polis is natural by virtue of the fact that, against other, lesser associations, it is the only one sufficient to practicing the good life. Aristotle’s investigation of the nature of the political association and his criticisms of other writers lead him to look into the types of constitutions that are possible and the ideas of justice each type embodies. We are now ready for Book III and beyond. This lecture will be somewhat longer than usual, but will allow the next one to be shorter. Asher Horowitz | Department of Political Science | Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies | York UniversityĪristotle on Constitutions and the Best Constitution
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