Aristotles Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Aristotles Politics - Essay ExampleTherefore, at times, he tends to justify the status quo-making state handsts that some people are born to be buckle downs, and that a slave is a possession of the animate sort2 or that Hellenes (Greeks) are superior to others (barbarians) These ideas may be reprehensible today to us, who favor a liberal approach. However, in discussing the views of the thinkers of antiquity we must remember the prospect in which they were placed, and accept that circumstances and environment definitely play a major part in shaping thought processes. In his book, Politics (as also in his morality) Aristotle looks among other things at the political and the pondering life, discussing what is involved in each fictional character of life, and which one of these is preferable.He states that it is the manhoodner in which goods are partitioned that separates men into three types. These goods he classifies into three, external goods, goods of the body, and goods of th e soul. The happy man must have all three of these type of goods.3 The soul is nobler than our bodies or our possessions. And it is for the sake of the soul that goods external and goods of the body are eligible at all and (we) ought to choose them for the sake of the soul, and not the soul for the sake of them.4Every human being should research to be happy. But happiness should not be mistaken for the usual bodily pleasures. In his Ethics Aristotle says that the happiness that a person has achieved buttocksnot be calculated on a short-term basis, but can be ascertained at the end of his life. When a person lives his life ensuring that the activity of (his) soul (is) jibe to reason (Ethics),5 then he attains happiness. The best life, for an individual and for a state, is the life of rightfulness, when virtue has external goods lavish for the performance of good accomplishments.6 The extent of happiness which a person attains is in proportion to the virtue and wisdom which he possesses, and which leads to virtuous and wise action. A person is happy and blessed not by reason of any external good, but in himself and by reason of his own nature.7 The inconsistency between good fortune and happiness is that external goods (or good fortune) occur as a provide of chance, but happiness which comes by temperate living or virtue is no chance happening. temperate living comes from right actions that are done because a person possesses virtue and wisdom. Both a man of action and a man of contemplation can pursue a virtuous life-a life in which he uses his wisdom to do the right thing. The highest or best life for a man of action is the political life, while the highest type of contemplative life is the philosophers life. To use Aristotles own words, even those who agree in thinking that the life of virtue is the most eligible, raise a question, whether the life of business and politics is or