Aristotle s Politics

This seminar explores a set of interrelated ideas, puzzles, problems, and assumptions that Aristotle’s Politics presents concerning human flourishing, community, and political organization. It seeks to historically situate Aristotelian conceptions of the polis and of citizens (politai), both as products of actual circumstances in Hellenic city-states during the classical period and as responses to theoretical speculations by contemporaries such as Plato. Its overarching goal is to examine in detail Aristotle’s conception of the polis as the exclusive setting in which individual human beings can achieve their full potential as deliberators on matters of importance who exercise authority over others and are simultaneously subject to the determinations of others. We account for the assumptions and prejudgments that shape and limit his conceptions of who is able to participate in the activities of deliberation that are critical to the mature flourishing of individuals as well as the functioning of the polis. As we consider the emphases Aristotle places on political and social significance of economic factors and his interest in the individual household as a crucial building block of the polis, we investigate Politics’ sustained interest in the means by which senses of community, trust, “friendship,” and common interest are either fostered or inhibited, and its recurrent concerns for phenomena of factionalism, division, and distrust that render political communities dysfunctional. The seminar aspires to afford opportunities for thinking critically about Aristotle’s Politics and its legacy, and for considering the paths it might open up for creative engagement with the challenges we face today.