Aristotle Context (384-322 bc)

Aristotle Context (384-322 bc)

1. Politics

   • Man is zoon politikon
     • Political and social creatures that must live ethical and harmonious life with others

2. Nichomachean Ethics

   • Book V - Theory of Justice
     • Equality is linked to justice
       • Arithmetic equality
         • Corrective/refectory justice
         • All men are equal in eyes of law both in terms of involuntary (criminal) law and voluntary (keeping of contracts) law.
           • If one man murders another he is affecting the equality of men, refectory justice alters this distubance
       • Proportional/geomentric equality
         • Distributive Justice
           • There are goods to be distributed and this may be unequally but justice is still relevant
             • Eg. two people, one flute yet only one can play, flute should go to the flute player
             • Treating equals equally and unequals unequally

3. Athens along with Plato

   • Wasn't native to Athens (Alien)
   • Part of Greek Enlightenment
     • Growth of Philosophy and exclusion of myth

4. Democracy

   • Most citizens worked and couldn't indulge in political activity
   • Political equality
     • One man one vote
   • Equality before the law
     • Regardless of wealth
   • Natural equality
     • Everyone has valuable contribution to make
   • Both Plato and Aristotle argue for aristocracy not democracy
   • Pericles Funeral Orientation gives intellectual justification for democracy

5. Best way of ruling? Aristocracy. See note.

   • Goods = Poltical Power Population = citizen body Standard of distribution?? If standard is; wealth = oligarchy citizenship = democract merit (wisdom + virtue) = aristocracy This is an example of distributive justice.