Ancient Greece is the cradle of philosophy, politics, sociology and other sciences, without which it is now difficult to imagine our world. In the fertile climate of Hellas, completely new ideas and concepts of the state, man, society were born ... And to the greatest extent we should thank the famous philosopher Aristotle, whose name, along with Plato and Socrates, is familiar to each of us. One can talk endlessly about his achievements in the field of natural sciences, logic, rhetoric, philosophy, ethics. He said that man is a political animal. To understand what Aristotle had in mind, it is worth a little deeper into his teachings.
Aristotle: A Short Biography
"Man is a political animal ..." Aristotle, the author of this saying, lived and worked during the greatest heyday of Greece, in 384-322. BC e. Born in Stagira, a small Greek colony near the Macedonian border. He spent most of his life in Athens, where he could actively participate in political life. He is also known for being the teacher of Alexander the Great, for which later, when uprisings broke out in Athens against the Macedonian government, he was convicted.
He was a student of Plato, relations with which did not develop as we would like, but more on that later. Aristotle wrote more than 150 treatises and scientific works, including Metaphysics, Politics, and Rhetoric. Aristotle's ideas at that time were the most advanced and innovative. However, they do not lose their relevance today.
Plato's influence
Aristotle studied at the Academy of Plato and was really friendly with the teacher, except for mutual disputes of different nature. Plato criticized the lush style of Aristotleās clothes, his love of jewelry and personal care, considering it unacceptable to the philosopher. Aristotle, being originally a Platonist, soon began to doubt some of the teachings of Plato. The main differences between their theories are focused on the concepts of an āidealā state, the origin of the state, the role of power, the form of society and the function of man in it. It is Aristotle who is credited with saying: "Plato is my friend, but truth is more precious." Only the metaphysical theories about the origin of spirit and matter were accepted by the student entirely from the teacher. Thus, it is possible to consider the conflict and even temporary hostility between Plato and Aristotle as a positive situation, because the main feature of the philosopher should be rational āsuspiciousnessā, that is, asking questions, understanding and rethinking the existing theories in search of truth. It was Plato who helped his best student to develop a completely different model of the state and man.
Who is Aristotle's man?
To understand what kind of person Aristotle defined as a political animal in his treatise "Politics", it is worth determining who Aristotle generally considered a person and who is not. In the ancient city-policies, including Athens, Ā¾ societies were slaves who did not have any civil rights. It is worth noting that not a single Greek philosopher has denied the need for slavery, considering slaves to be people "naturally designed for submission." Besides them, foreigners and artisans were also not considered citizens. So, Aristotle, saying that a person is a political animal, implied only participants in a jury and popular court. A small remark: women also did not have the fullness of civil rights, but at the same time they were an important part of society.
Politics: definition of Aristotle
Having examined the concept of āmanā, we can proceed to the definition of the words āpoliticsā, āpoliticalā. The etymology of this word is Greek, and initially it described the art of governing the state. Politics comes from the word "policy", that is, a city in ancient Greece with derelict agricultural territories, its own army and diplomatic relations. Accordingly, all the affairs of the city, meetings, voting, civic duties, that is, all public affairs, are politics. Family and private affairs are not included in this category. Aristotle singled out three ārightā types of government: monarchy, aristocracy and politics (majority rule). Politics was an ideal solution for him, because it combined the wealth of the oligarchy, the virtues of the aristocracy and the freedom of democracy. The army should be the basis of such an āidealā country (Cyprus and Sparta were necessary examples for Aristotle's theory). That is, āpoliticalā in the catch phrase āman is a political animalā means āsocial, virtuous, general, civilā.
Why is man a political animal?
This phrase became popular in the Enlightenment, when it was quoted in letters by Charles Montesquieu, a well-known French thinker and political theorist. Sometimes you can hear the actual Greek expression: zoon politikon. Summarizing all of the above, the phrase āman is a political animalā should be understood as follows: only by developing in a society of people can a person be formed as a person. To be and be brought up among people is a natural need of an individual. In the absence of society, a person cannot learn the basic virtues necessary for the proper functioning of the state. And the good of the state Aristotle set very high in his hierarchy of values.
In our time, to call a person an animal is not very decent, but Aristotle, as a brilliant natural scientist, understood that in every person there is a biological principle, and this is normal. And a person, following the rules of nature, must live in a "herd", without losing a sense of human (!) Dignity and healthy mind.
State concept
Speaking of the state, we have in mind the Greek policy, to which Aristotle (as, incidentally, Plato) attributed not only a protective function. The philosopher believed that the goal of the state is to guarantee a happy (fair, financially equal) life for every citizen. The presence of laws and their observance ennobles a person, and the state itself is nothing more than communication between families, clans and villages.
Interesting Facts
- Aristotle's wife was Pifiada, a biologist and embryologist (a rare occupation for women in ancient Greece). After the death of his wife, the philosopher began to live with his slave, and they had a son.
- Aristotle after the death of his great teacher opened his school - Lyceum.
- Alexander the Great as a gratitude for the knowledge sent Aristotle sent works of art from subordinate territories.
- It is believed that the philosopher was the first scholar. Among other things, he is the founder of meteorology and psychology.
- For the fact that European civilization now has access to the works of Aristotle, you need to thank the Arabs, who admired the thoughts of the philosopher and carefully rewrote his works.
Significance for the future
The one who belongs to the definition of man as a political animal has done more for the development of political thought than all the philosophers and scientists of subsequent centuries. It was Aristotle who designated the place of a person in society and his role, formulated the functions of the state, which are mandatory in most modern countries, and built a classification of the methods of government - and this is all only in the field of political science! Aristotleās āpoliticsā is still studied by students at the university, they write doctoral dissertations based on his writings, and such great minds of the past as Tom Aquinas, Marsilius of Padua and Dante Alighieri were inspired by his concepts. Aristotle can be quoted without stopping, and we now know that it is to him the dictum belongs: "Man is a political animal." The author of many treatises and popular science works deserves the title of one of the wisest people in the history of mankind.