Aristotle politics pdf

Aristotle politics summary pdf
Aristotle best form of government
What is politics according to aristotle

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Aristotle’s Political Theory

1. Political Science in General

The modern word ‘political’ derives from the Greek politikos, ‘of, or pertaining to, the polis’. (The Greek term polis will be translated here as ‘city-state’. It is also commonly translated as ‘city’ or simply anglicized as ‘polis’. City-states like Athens and Sparta were relatively small and cohesive units, in which political, religious, and cultural concerns were intertwined. The extent of their similarity to modern nation-states is controversial.) Aristotle’s word for ‘politics’ is politikê, which is short for politikê epistêmê or ‘political science’. It belongs to one of the three main branches of science, which Aristotle distinguishes by their ends or objects. Contemplative science (including physics and metaphysics) is concerned with truth or knowledge for its own sake; practical science with good action; and productive science with making useful or beautiful objects (Top. VI.6.145a1

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Episteme and Techne

1. Xenophon

Xenophon’s only sustained discussions of epistêmê and technê are in two of his Socratic works, Memorabilia and Oeconomicus. The Memorabilia recounts conversations which Socrates held on a variety of topics; the Oeconomicus is a conversation largely devoted to one, i.e., the art of running a successful estate and household. In these works, knowledge is intimately tied to knowing how to do things, especially the more organized kind of knowing-how designated by technê. There is no distinction between epistêmê as theoretical knowledge and technê as mere craft or skill. Socrates explicitly identifies as technai such activities as playing the harp, generalship, piloting a ship, cooking, medicine, managing an estate, smithing, and carpentry; by association with these technai, we can include housebuilding, mathematics, astronomy, making money, flute playing, and painting. Without marking any difference, he also calls many of these activities epistêmai.

At the beginning of

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This paper assesses the historical meaning and contemporary significance of Aristotle's educational ideas. It begins with a broad characterisation of the project of Aristotle's "Nicomachean Ethics" and "Politics", which he calls "political science" ("he politike episteme"), and the central place of education in his vision of statesmanship. It proceeds through a series of topics fundamental to his educational ideas, culminating in the account of education in "Politics" VIII. A concluding section appraises the uses to which Aristotelian ideas are currently put in philosophy of education, identifying some confusions in the influential literature of "practices". (Contains 13 notes.)

Descriptors: Political Science, Educational History, Ethics, World History, Politics of Education, Educational Philosophy, Role of Education, Authors, Moral Values, Social Values, Citizenship Education

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