Ancient Political Theory

1. Ancient Political Theory Aristotle’s Politics

2. Aristotle • Aristotle’s Conservatism: Rule of Law • The End of Antiquity • The Rise of Christianity

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4. Aristotle’s Conservatism:Rule of Law • Most modern political thinkers believe that good political societies can be made through revolution • We take revolutionaries seriously as moral figures

5. Aristotle’s Conservatism:Rule of Law • Notice, that nowhere in the Politics does Aristotle offer advice on how to subvert tyrannies (but he does give advice [Book V, chapter 11] on how tyrannies can hold onto power)

6. Aristotle’s Conservatism:Rule of Law • The obvious implication of that is that Aristotle does not think that revolution is a good idea • Why not? • Go back to his understanding of the polis and the end of man • Revolution generally comes through violent means

7. Aristotle’s Conservatism:Rule of Law • But violence (and hence revolution) are apolitical acts since neither has anything to do with reason and speech. • Animals settle their differences by fighting

8. Aristotle’s Conservatism:Rule of Law • Revolution is the point where we’ve given up on reason and speech, and… • It doesn’t usually work out for the best in the long run

9. Aristotle’s Conservatism:Rule of Law • Aristotle is conservative in the strict sense of the term • Change is generally not for the better • We shouldn’t undermine customs, mores, and traditions of the polis

10. Aristotle’s Conservatism:Rule of Law • No good political situation can endure without the rule of law • By “law” here also include the habitual rules we have for social interaction • Note, the force of a law, compulsive power of law, only comes through habit

11. Aristotle’s Conservatism:Rule of Law • For example, let’s examine the rules of etiquette

12. Aristotle’s Conservatism:Rule of Law • How do we judge the merit of different conventions? Can we do that? • Can’t compare between the conventions, only within them • Better for those within the society governed by the convention to abide the convention

13. Aristotle’s Conservatism:Rule of Law • What do we lose by trashing (allegedly) arbitrary rules of etiquette? • Etiquette is a form of communication • Its rules create expectations which enrich life by providing us with another avenue of communication besides language

14. Aristotle’s Conservatism:Rule of Law • Customs are a set of conventions which enable us to have a common life together (remember Aristotle’s understanding of the polis) • The idea that a culture can be “made” is self-defeating in that by taking away conventions we limit and erode the available avenues of communication

15. Aristotle’s Conservatism:Rule of Law • Laws and Freedom (1) • Laws don’t just limit action, but provide the means for conducting other activities (think of the etiquette example again) • Obeying law provides another avenue for freedom/creativity • Laws and rules don’t simply or only take away. They also provide.

16. Aristotle’s Conservatism:Rule of Law • Force of Law: Habit • Instilling new customs? • How to do it? • Can’t speak or reason (for example, why not wear a hat inside? Why say “bless you” at a sneeze?) • Ultimately, the only way to change is through force

17. Aristotle’s Conservatism:Rule of Law • Laws and Freedom (2) • It is possible to obey laws without obeying any person, since no single person is responsible for their being there • Allows for the possibility of giving oneself to law without becoming a slave to anyone

18. Aristotle’s Conservatism:Rule of Law • Can’t create a community because we can’t create conventions. They are passed down from traditions of common life and shared history • Conventions, laws, and habit are what make a community • Moreover, it is precisely this community which is the prerequisite for a the good political life (in the Aristotleian sense)

19. The End of Antiquity • The Decline of the Polis • Polis collapsing, entering the age of empire and moving towards the modern nation/state • The distinctive feature: increase size of political life • Implication: development of an impersonal ethics

20. The End of Antiquity • The increased diversity within the larger political unit means we no longer share so much in common • At least not as much as was typical in era of the city-state • Moving from neighborhood to neighboring states • Examples?

21. The End of Antiquity • Implications? • Effect on our estimation of the moral worth of persons • Recall Aristotle’s definition of citizen: someone capable of ruling and being ruled in turn • In other words, participation in common decision making process • Question? – when we expand size of the basic political unit, is that understanding of citizen still viable?

22. The End of Antiquity • We no longer see our moral life bound up with the polis • That is, we seek our moral life in other nonpolitical subgroups • We begin to detach our moral values and our political life • Politics becomes increasingly associated with administration rather than a shared journey in pursuit of the good life

23. The End of Antiquity • We moderns no longer even attempt to allow for the moral development of citizens as the aim of our political life • For purposes of this new political life, all men are created equal – all are subject to the same laws

24. Rise of Christianity • Influence of Judeo-Christian values in the west • Each of us has a soul created in image of infinitely omnipotent, omnibenevolent, omniscient God • Is there meaning to life? How could life have meaning?

25. Rise of Christianity • If we accept the question is intelligible, how can it be made to make sense? • e.g., characters in literature have meaning because they are imparted meaning by the author who created him/her • We are purposes whose life has meaning because the author of existence – God – has imparted meaning in His creation; i.e., God exists

26. Rise of Christianity • Proof of God’s existence • Order of the Universe • Divine Watchmaker • Plenitude • Continuity • Chain of being

27. T H E G R E A T C H A I N O F B E I N G God Angels Extraterrestials Human Beings Mammals Reptiles Fish Plants Pond Scum

28. Rise of Christianity • Note that this is a rational approach, not necessarily religious • Note also that sometimes it is rational to believe testimony without proof – not necessarily a product of “leap of faith”

29. Rise of Christianity • For example, for most of us, we accept mom’s testimony on the identity of dad. • We only know the identity of our fathers through mom’s word, and we accept it without proof (most of us haven’t had DNA/paternity tests done to confirm the identity of our father)

30. Rise of Christianity • The only assumption that gives meaning to the question of the meaning of life is that God exists, we know God exists and we know His revealed word is found in the Bible

31. Rise of Christianity • If we accept the validity of the Bible and its revealed word, then the equality of man is found in the soul • Soul means: • God is infinitely more valuable than man • Man is more valuable than everything else on earth (except other men) • Hierarchy ends at people

32. Rise of Christianity • Good life? • Consciously doing what God wants me to do • Virtue: now means “amazing grace” • Touched by God, gratuitously, not by desert • Can’t force God’s hand, in other words • Our salvation comes through act of God

33. Rise of Christianity • Political Implications of this development? • What follows if the universe and everything in it was created by an omnibenevolent, omniscient, and omnipotent deity?