Politics
Title
Politics
Description
Authored by Plato’s student Aristotle, Politics is a collection of writings on different political constitutions (though we have a conception of a constitution as a written document, “political constitution” as used by Aristotle is synonymous with “type of government”).
Like Plato’s The Republic, Aristotle’s Politics outlines a number of different political constitutions. He proposes the existence of six types of government, three good (monarchy, aristocracy, and polity) and three bad (tyranny, oligarchy, and democracy). Each good constitution has a bad counterpart. During his comparison of polity and democracy (two types of government where the many rule), the difference he points out lays the foundation for future English government—a set of sovereign laws. Sovereign laws are rules that no one is above (a concept later called “rule of law”) and tend not to change unless necessary (Aristotle says that sovereign laws should ideally not change to anchor people to morality, but accepts that sometimes it is warranted).
Unlike The Republic, Aristotle does not believe monarchy (called “aristocracy” by Plato) to be the best system, as he states it is not realistically achievable. To find a ruler that exceptional, he believes, is impossible. Similarly, finding a virtuous elite as with aristocracy is difficult. Should one manage it, this superhuman will likely not want to manage a city of lesser beings, nor would they perhaps be bound by our sense of morality. Also, confining rulership to one or few people makes corruption likely (since no one can do anything if the ruler(s) becomes corrupt), and the chances of a larger group making poor judgement is less. Instead, he says polity (rule of the middle class, as they do not oppress the poor as the rich do or resent the rich as the poor do) is the best achievable one (Aristotle, Book II).
Aristotle also emphasizes the importance of commerce within Politics. In proposing the ideal city, he suggests that it be located by the sea to facilitate maritime trade. In doing so, the city can be provided with the resources necessary to thrive—however, he does qualify that such the benefits of such trade should be treated with moderation. Furthermore, Aristotle argues that a port can also serve militaristic purposes, allowing a city to defend itself and deter attacks through the presence of a navy. Discussed in weeks seven and eight of HIST 139, the value of maritime commerce and naval presence becomes apparent between the 17th and 18th centuries. England thrived due to its strong navy and connections with the Americas (in addition to its industrialization). The Dutch rose to prominence via the establishing of vast trade networks across Europe. Venice and the Ottoman Empire dominated the Mediterranean Sea, reaping benefits from pillaging and trade. Conversely, countries like France suffered in the Mediterranean as few cities were located on the coast (the opposite of what Aristotle recommended), thus limiting their stake in Mediterranean trade (Wiesner-Hanks, p. 484-526).
Like Plato’s The Republic, Aristotle’s Politics outlines a number of different political constitutions. He proposes the existence of six types of government, three good (monarchy, aristocracy, and polity) and three bad (tyranny, oligarchy, and democracy). Each good constitution has a bad counterpart. During his comparison of polity and democracy (two types of government where the many rule), the difference he points out lays the foundation for future English government—a set of sovereign laws. Sovereign laws are rules that no one is above (a concept later called “rule of law”) and tend not to change unless necessary (Aristotle says that sovereign laws should ideally not change to anchor people to morality, but accepts that sometimes it is warranted).
Unlike The Republic, Aristotle does not believe monarchy (called “aristocracy” by Plato) to be the best system, as he states it is not realistically achievable. To find a ruler that exceptional, he believes, is impossible. Similarly, finding a virtuous elite as with aristocracy is difficult. Should one manage it, this superhuman will likely not want to manage a city of lesser beings, nor would they perhaps be bound by our sense of morality. Also, confining rulership to one or few people makes corruption likely (since no one can do anything if the ruler(s) becomes corrupt), and the chances of a larger group making poor judgement is less. Instead, he says polity (rule of the middle class, as they do not oppress the poor as the rich do or resent the rich as the poor do) is the best achievable one (Aristotle, Book II).
Aristotle also emphasizes the importance of commerce within Politics. In proposing the ideal city, he suggests that it be located by the sea to facilitate maritime trade. In doing so, the city can be provided with the resources necessary to thrive—however, he does qualify that such the benefits of such trade should be treated with moderation. Furthermore, Aristotle argues that a port can also serve militaristic purposes, allowing a city to defend itself and deter attacks through the presence of a navy. Discussed in weeks seven and eight of HIST 139, the value of maritime commerce and naval presence becomes apparent between the 17th and 18th centuries. England thrived due to its strong navy and connections with the Americas (in addition to its industrialization). The Dutch rose to prominence via the establishing of vast trade networks across Europe. Venice and the Ottoman Empire dominated the Mediterranean Sea, reaping benefits from pillaging and trade. Conversely, countries like France suffered in the Mediterranean as few cities were located on the coast (the opposite of what Aristotle recommended), thus limiting their stake in Mediterranean trade (Wiesner-Hanks, p. 484-526).
Creator
Aristotle
Source
Aristotle. Politics. Translated by Carnes Lord, 2nd ed., The University of Chicago Press, 2013.
Greek Manuscript of Aristotle's Politics. 1493. Biblioteca Nazionale Vittorio Emanuele III, Naples. In Wikimedia. By Franz Steffens. January 26, 2008. Accessed November 17, 2018. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Greek_manuscript_minuscule_Aristotle.png.
Wiesner-Hanks, Merry. Early Modern Europe 1450-1789. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013.
Greek Manuscript of Aristotle's Politics. 1493. Biblioteca Nazionale Vittorio Emanuele III, Naples. In Wikimedia. By Franz Steffens. January 26, 2008. Accessed November 17, 2018. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Greek_manuscript_minuscule_Aristotle.png.
Wiesner-Hanks, Merry. Early Modern Europe 1450-1789. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013.
Date
350 BCE
Contributor
Moses Jehng
Rights
(Translation) All Rights Reserved
Citation
Aristotle, “Politics,” HIST 139 - Early Modern Europe, accessed August 6, 2026, https://earlymoderneurope.hist.sites.carleton.edu/items/show/98.