POSC 7: Introduction to Political Theory

Study Questions for Aristotle’s Politics

1. Was Aristotle writing before or after Plato?

2. How does Aristotle define the nature of a thing/person? What is the role of developmental biology in Aristotle’s work? Does he still think teleologically and hierarchically?

3. For Aristotle, what is the relationship between excellence and human nature? What makes one a human?

4. According to Aristotle, what makes man a political animal?

5. What distinguishes the household from the polis? How does Aristotle distinguish between apolitical and political forms of life? OR How does Aristotle define politics?

6. Why is slavery not political for Aristotle?

7. What is the telos of the polis for Aristotle?

8. What is the ideal political regime for Aristotle? What is the best possible regime?

9. According to Aristotle, should the “masses” be given an opportunity to participate in politics? Why or why not?

10. What does it mean to be a citizen, on Aristotle’s view? Who would be considered an ideal/excellent citizen for Aristotle?

11. Why is leisure important for Aristotle?

12. What does it mean to say that Aristotle is a contextual thinker?

13. Why are “vulgar people” unable to participate in politics, accordingly to Aristotle?

14. Which of these regimes are political and which are not for Aristotle? Why? Which of them are just, and which are unjust? Why?

-Monarchy

-Tyranny

-Aristocracy

-Oligarchy

-Polity

-Democracy

15. What Platonic themes does Aristotle continue to develop, and what new notions does Aristotle introduce in his philosophy? In other words, what are the similarities and differences between Plato and Aristotle?

Terms (do you know the definition of each and the significance of each in the text?):

Polis

Telos (for Aristotle as compared to Plato)

Developmental thinking

Completion, or becoming complete, or coming-into-being

Political animal

Deliberative rule vs. directive rule

Virtue/Excellence

Good life vs. mere life

Contextualism

Vulgar people

Spoudaios