Aristotle's Politics Today (S U N Y Series in Ancient Greek Philosophy)

According to Aristotle, man's essential sociality implies a distinctive conception of politics, one in which all political associations exist for the sake of the moral perfection of human beings. This stands in sharp contrast with the modern view of politics that man is not "by nature" political; rather, man chooses to create political associations for the sake of securing the protection of his life and property. Many political theorists have begun to express doubts about this modern view, calling for a return to Aristotle's vision of a politics that is deeply moral. In Aristotle's Politics Today, distinguished political philosophers representing a diversity of approaches examine the meaning, relevance, and implications of Aristotle's political thought for contemporary social and political theory. The contributors engage a broad range of topics, including Aristotle's views on constitutionalism, the extension of Aristotelian ideas to issues in international relations, the place of Aristotelian virtue in modern democratic politics, and Aristotle's conception of justice. ARISTOTLE’S POLITICS TODAY 4 CONTENTS 6 INTRODUCTION 8 1. ARISTOTELIAN STATECRAFT AND MODERN POLITICS 20 2. ARISTOTLE AND THE LIBERAL STATE 40 3. WHY DEMOCRATS NEED THE VIRTUES 52 4. VIRTUE-ORIENTED POLITICS:CONFUCIUS AND ARISTOTLE 60 5. THE MORALITY OF NATIONS:AN ARISTOTELIAN APPROACH 84 6. THE REVOLT OF THE JUST 100 7. ARISTOTLE’S REGIME OF THE AMERICANS 116 8. ARISTOTLE’S POLITY TODAY 136 WORKS CITED 158 CONTRIBUTORS 166 INDEX LOCORUM 168 INDEX 170 A 170 B 170 C 170 D 171 E 171 F 171 G 171 H 171 I 172 J 172 K 172 L 172 M 172 N 172 O 172 P 172 R 173 S 173 T 173 U 173 V 173 W 174 Y 174 Z 174 "According to Aristotle, man's essential sociality implies a distinctive conception of politics, one in which all political associations exist for the sake of the moral perfection of human beings. This stands in sharp contrast with the modem view of politics that man is not "by nature" political; rather, man chooses to create political associations for the sake of securing the protection of his life and property. Many political theorists have begun to express doubts about this modern view, calling for a return to Aristotle's vision of a politics that is deeply moral In Aristotle's Politics Today, distinguished political philosophers representing a diversity of approaches examine the meaning, relevance, and implications of Aristotle's political thought for contemporary social and political theory. The contributors engage a broad range of topics, including Aristotle's views on constitutionalism, the extension of Aristotelian ideas to issues in international relations, the place of Aristotelian virtue in modern democratic politics, and Aristotle's conception of justice."--Jacket