Aristotle’s Politics is one of the foundational political texts of Western civilization. At certain places, a modern person who reads it will no doubt feel offended or repulsed by Aristotle’s views (i.e., on slavery). On the other hand, the modern person will be surprised at how sophisticated it is in other places. It is really a collection of and reflection on the political wisdom of one of the most unique civilizations in the history of the world. In this way, Aristotle’s Politics can provoke thought, provide clarity, and produce wisdom. Here are a few of the quotes I have found most worthy of consideration.
1. “Hence some persons are led to believe that getting wealth is the object of household management, and the whole idea of their lives is that they ought either to increase their money without limit, or at any rate not lose it. The origin of this disposition in men is that they are intent upon living only, and not upon living well; and, as their desires are unlimited, they also desire that the means of gratifying them should be without limit” (Aristotle, 1.9).
2. On the common interest: “For that which is common to the greatest number has the least care bestowed upon it. Everyone thinks chiefly of his own, hardly at all of the common interest; and only when he is himself concerned as an individual” (2.3). That is why “[t]he true forms of government, therefore, are those in which the one, or the few, or the many, govern with a view to the common interest, but governments which rule with a view to the private interest, whether of the one or the few, or of the many, are perversions” (3.7).
3. This is an observation of the mentality of inequality from the standpoint of democracy and oligarchy. “Democracy, for example, arises out of the notion that those who are equal in any respect are equal in all respects; because men are equally free, they claim to be absolutely equal. Oligarchy is based on the notion that those who are unequal; being unequal, that is, in property, they suppose themselves to be unequal absolutely” (5.1). On the other hand, he says, “The only stable principle of government is equality according to merit, and for every man to enjoy his own” (5.7).
4. “But above all every state should be so administered and so regulated by law that its magistrates cannot possibly make money” (5.8).
5. A safety net but no capricious or excessive redistribution: “Where there are revenues the demagogues should not be allowed after their manner to distribute the surplus; the poor are always receiving and always wanting more and more, for such help is like water poured into a leaky cask. Yet the true friend of the people should see that they are not too poor, for extreme poverty lowers the character of the democracy; measures, therefore, should be taken which will give them lasting prosperity; and, as this is equally the interest of all cases, the proceeds of the public revenues should be accumulated and distributed among its poor, if possible, in such quantities as may enable them to purchase a little farm, or, at any rate, make a beginning in trade or farming” (6.6).
6. “For he who must learn to command well must, as men say, first of all, learn to obey” (7.14).
7. “The student who is going to make a suitable investigation of the best form of constitution must necessarily decide first of all what is the most desirable mode of life” (7.1). Neglect of this caused problem for the Spartans and many others. The Spartans trained for war, but they did not train for peace. “For most of these military states are safe only while they are at war, but fall when they have acquired their empire; like unused iron they lose their edge in time of peace. And for this the legislator is to blame, he never having taught them how to lead the life of peace” (7.14). He goes on to say that those who have abundance have the most need of philosophy in order to teach them what to do with what they have (7.15). It is terrible “to show excellent qualities in war, and when they have peace and leisure to be no better than slaves” (7.15).