Behold the systematically and analytically molded clamor that established the imperfections,lapsesanddefectsofPlatosTheRepublic.

public.AristotlesPoliticsisthe other factor for the completion of a dialectical analysis, with regard to Platos The Republic on the other end. Upon establishing his vivid ideas on attaining the best politicalorderhegraduallypointedoutthelapsesofTheRepublicinasystematicand analyticalway.Aristotleopenshisideainaformalmanner,likeanyotherinformative manuscriptunlikehismasterswayestablishingideasthroughastoryandinapoetic ambiance. He was straight forward on establishing his ideas. Aristotle began to establishhisideasstartingfromthemacropointofviewwhereinthecentralfocuswas thestatethataimsatthehighestgood.Inopeninghisideas,Aristotlepointedouttwo mainideasonwhatreallyisthestate,thestateasawhole,andthestateasawholein connectiontoitssubordinatesoritspartsanditsfunctionstoitspeople.ThePolitics pointedouttwoimportantideasthatserveasthecoreideaonAristotlesthoughts.The first idea was that the state is a community1 and that it is the greatest of all communities,whichembracesalltherest,aimsatgoodinagreaterdegreethanany other,andatthehighestgood2 Inhisidea,hewasabletoelaboratewhatreallyisa stateandthisideaservedasastartingpointonhisdiscussions. AristotlebegantheestablishmentofhisideasthroughtheState.Onhisopening remarks,hebegantoestablishtheconceptiononthestatesoriginandnature.Inthis remarkheconsideredthestateasacommunitythatviewedtothehighestgood.For himthestateasalargecompoundismadeupofsmallelementsandthatthesesmall elementsareveryimportantaspectsforitsorigin.Inlookingintoitsdetailsorgoinginto amicropointofview,wecanattaintoseeitsclearviewandbeabletomoveforthe highestgood.Aristotle pointed outthatina state, masterandslave have the same interestandthattheyareorganicallyconnectedwitheachother.Inastatetherearetwo subordinateassociations,thefamily,inwhichitwasestablishedbynatureforthesupply oftheeverydaywantsofmen,nextisthevillagesorcommunity,inwhichitiscomposed ofmany familiesanditaimsonmorethan thesupplyofdailyneeds.Afterthe two associations,thestateisnextnrankwhereinmanyvillagesputuptogetheranduniteas

acommunitythatisbigenoughtobeconsideredasselfsufficing.Inthisconceptof evolutionthestateisconsideredasanorganiccommunityandwhoeverstayedoutside thestateisconsideredasabeast.Aristotleclarifiedthatthestateisreallyformedfrom familiesandindividualsanditneedsitspartstobeselfsufficing. Upon his elaboration on what the state is all about, he began to tackle the relationbetweenmasterandslaveinwhichhebelievedthatthisrelationshipisnatural and present or considered as part of the state. On the second part, he elaborated furtherthathavingarulerandruledarenecessaryandismustonastate.Onthiskind of relationship, Aristotle pointed out that where the relation of master and slave betweenthenisnaturallaw,theyarefriendsandhaveacommoninterest,butwhereit restsmerelyonlawandforcethereverseistrue3. AfterAristotleestablishedthefoundationsofhisideas,hebegantocriticizehis teacherswork,TheRepublic.Beforestartinghiscritique,heclarifiedtheimportanceof comparisoninattainingthebestpoliticalcommunity.Incomparison,examiningtakes intoplacethatwillbethekeytoknowwhatisgoodandusefulandmakeitasakeyto attainthehighestgod toeveryindividualsofthe state.Inhiscritique,he started to criticizetheclaimofcommonproperty,forhimitisclearlyimpossiblebecauseaccording toAristotleitisimpracticable.Forhim,Socratesclaimdoesnthaveanyexplanationsfor itsnecessitiesandwasntabletoprovidestepsforitsrealization.Healsocriticizedthe conceptofgreaterunitythatleadstoabetterstate.Forhim,itwouldbethedestruction ofthestateduetoitsplurality.Healsoelaboratedthedistinctclassofrulers,wherein theyshouldtakepositionsoneaftertheother.Asawhole,Aristotlepointedthatextreme unityinastateisnotgood. Inhiscritiqueonthecommonalityofproperty,hepointedouttheideaofproperty inastate.BasedonAristotlesidea,propertiesshouldbesomewayoranothercommon butasawholeprivate.Inthissense,menrespondtothereowninterests,thusreducing complainsandwiththistheywillmakeprogressbecauseheisnowfocusingonhisown interest or business. For Aristotle, there should still be private ownership but the

community of property should not be regarded and these should be more clarified througheducationwhereintheideaofequalityofpropertyisnotenoughbutratherthe moderation of its amount is important. Aristotle stresses out that there should be enoughfortheinternalandexternalwantsofthestatetomaintainstabilityandwelfare. Inrelationtothestate,Aristotlepointedouttheexistingindividualthatcomprises astate,inthispart;heisreferringtothecitizensandwhoaretobeconsideredas citizens.Hewhosharesintheadministrationsofjusticeandtakespartintheactivities ofthegovernmentisconsideredasacitizen.Inthispart,citizenshavemanykindsand thisisbasedonthetypeofgovernmenttheybelongto,butasawholetheypossessa certainvirtue,whichistoknowhowtogovernlikeafreeman,andhowtoobeylikea freeman.4 Upon establishing his foundations on the state and its concepts and idea, Aristotlepointedoutthattherearedifferentcircumstancesthatastateundergoesandto beabletomeetthesecircumstancesthestateshouldadapttoitthroughitspolitical systemsinwhichitwouldbethekeyinresolvingit.ForPlato,therearethreetypesof true government, the kingship, aristocracy, and constitutional government and these threehadtherepervertedformsuchastyranny,oligarchy,anddemocracy.Onkingship and tyranny, theres only one ruler who governs the people, on aristocracy and oligarchy,itisruledbythefeworbyagroupandtheydifferinvirtuessuchaspre eminentmananddiffusedamongseveralmenrespectively.ForAristotle,heconsiders monarchyandaristocracyastheidealstateduetothevirtueorknowledgeofthefew whorulesthatseeksforthehighestgoodofitspeople.Butasheelaboratesdemocracy andconstitutionalgovernment,hepointedoutthatthesearebetterformofgovernment duetothenumerouspresencesofthemiddleclassthatwillemergeinthistypeofstate. The middle class is considered to be less in disputes because of their neutrality of valuesandaswellasofpropertiesandinademocraticgovernment,thereisawide rangeparticipationinthegovernment.

Inhislastpart,heestablishedtheideasofmaintainingstabilityinthestateby pointingoutthecauseandpreventionofrevolution.Forhim,therootofrevolutionisthe desire for equality and justice. When people seek to achieve equality and justice, revolutioncomesintoplay.Tobeabletopreventthiskindofinstability,wemustconsider itsrootandthereforeachieveequalityandjustice.Thereshouldalsobeobedienceto theruleoflaw,defendagainstchangesaspertainingtorevolution,andmostofallto preservetheconstitution. Through Aristotles ideas and thoughts, he established the foundation of the differentpoliticalsysteminrelationtothenumberofrulers,whereinitisbeingused nowadaysandthatcomparisonisfactorinfindingwaysfordevelopment.ForAristotle, there no fix type of government that is to be considered as the best, the type of governmentandconstitutionmustfitinaparticularcircumstancesanditalsoneeds mixtureofdifferentformstobeabletocopeupwiththecircumstances.Moreoverhe elaboratedtherealessenceofthestatethatservedasthefoundationofourpresent ideaofthestatthatseeksforthehighestgood.

AReviewof

Politics

By Aristotle In

WilliamEbenstein(ed.)GreatPoliticalThinkers:PlatotothePresent,4thed.NewYork: Holt,RinehartandWinston.1969 34pages

JohnMichaelM.Baliquig

POLSCI100A2

Prof.EnriqueBatara

MSUIliganInstituteofTechnology

July21,2010

Endnotes:

1,2,3,4WilliamEbenstein(ed.)GreatPoliticalThinkers:PlatotothePresent,4thEd.New York:Holt,RinehartandWinston.1969