The Politics

A detailed Summary of The Politics

In the book The Politics, Aristotle analyzes different types of political communities. He examines these political communities on two different levels; first as a city and then as a regime. By studying both city and regime you get the full picture of the different types of governments throughout the world. Aristotle uses this dual approach to describe the different types of regimes. Through his evaluation of the city and regime, Aristotle comes to the conclusion that oligarchies, which are governments that are ruled by the few, are deviant regimes because they govern for the good of the rulers, and not for the good of the whole.

The city is the first level that Aristotle uses to evaluate different types of political communities. A complete city "is the multitude of such persons that is adequate with a view to a self-sufficient life" (Aristotle pg. 87). Villages are collaboration of many households that have come together so they can obtain non-daily needs. Since villages are not self-sufficient, they join together to form cities. Cities provide you with the things your household and your village are not able to provide to you. Therefore, the city is the only thing that can exists self-sufficiently, and it exists for

There are many different types of oligarchies just as there are many various types of regimes. Some oligarchic regimes are better than others, but all oligarchic regimes are deviant because they do not aim at the common good of the whole city. The oligarchic regime that rules in regard to the law is the best type of regime. When the law has the authority, the regime is consequently more moral and just. In oligarchic regimes where the weathly have the authority, and not the law, then the richest of the rich will rise to power. This will lead to having a regime that is ruled by one instead of being ruled by the few. Therefore, it will undermine the oligarchical principles, because it will become instead a tyranny.

According to Aristotle, there are both correct and deviant regimes. Regimes that aim at the common advantage of the whole city are correct regimes because the regimes are just with moral laws. They allow their inhabitants to be citizens and participate in government on the basis of virtue instead of wealth, birth or beauty. Regimes that aim at a private advantage are deviant regimes because they are excluding part of the "whole."

The city is also the most authoritative partnership. The city embraces all other partnerships and therefore, it aims at the most authoritative good of all, which is living well. Aristotle uses "city" to generally describe political communities. The city only describes the people who inhabit it; it does not distinguish who the rulers are or what kind of rule the city has. The citizens are an important aspect of political communities because knowing the citizens allows you to investigate what type of regime that particular city has or should have. To find out who rules the city you have to study the city's reg

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Approximate Word count = 1194
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Politics