News and Views: Aristotle's Political Theory

News and Views: Aristotle's Political Theory: Aristotle (b. 384 – d. 322 BCE), was a Greek philosopher,

logician, and scientist. Along with his teacher Plato, Aristotle is

generally regarded as one of the most influential ancient thinkers

in a number of philosophical fields, including political theory.

Aristotle was born in Stagira in northern Greece, and his father was

a court physician to the king of Macedon. As a young man he studied

in Plato's Academy in Athens. After Plato's death he left Athens to

conduct philosophical and biological research in Asia Minor and

Lesbos, and he was then invited by King Philip II of Macedon to

tutor his young son, Alexander the Great. Soon after Alexander

succeeded his father, consolidated the conquest of the Greek

city-states, and launched the invasion of the Persian Empire.

Aristotle returned as a resident alien to Athens, and was a close

friend of Antipater, the Macedonian viceroy. At this time (335–323

BCE) he wrote, or at least worked on, some of his major treatises,

including the Politics. When Alexander died suddenly,

Aristotle had to flee from Athens because of his Macedonian

connections, and he died soon after. Aristotle's life seems to have

influenced his political thought in various ways: his interest in

biology seems to be expressed in the naturalism of his politics; his

interest in comparative politics and his sympathies for democracy as

well as monarchy may have been encouraged by his travels and

experience of diverse political systems; he criticizes harshly,

while borrowing extensively, from Plato's Republic,

Statesman, and Laws; and his own Politics

is intended to guide rulers and statesmen, reflecting the high

political circles in which he moved.