Notes on "A History of Political Theory" -- Episode 6

For episode 5 see here.

Theory of the City-State

VI. Aristotle: Political Actualities
 A. Lays groundwork for the study of politics separate from the study of ethics
 B. Looks at the ethical basis, arrangement of offices, social classes within state,
       as well as recognizing the differences between the legal constitution and 
       the constitution in practice
 C. Analysis based upon an understanding of the political and economic
       constitution of the state
       1. Democracies differ according to inclusiveness and economic structure
          of the state
       2. Oligarchies differ on eligibility and distribution of property
 D. Three branches of government: deliberative, administrative and judiciary 
 E. Combining best of both types is the polity or constitutional government*
       1. Foundation of large middle class which is the most stable as not too
           rich or too poor
       2. Balancing of quality (aristocracy) and quantity (democracy)
 F. Defines state as community between contractual relations and paternal rule
 G. State originates from bare needs of life but continues for the sake of the good
       life -- which is the first truly civilized form. 
 H. The "nature"of a thing revealed after growth has taken place; nature redefined
       as convention. Through the growth of community comes the state.
 I. The state is natural because it contains the possibility of a fully civilized life
      but conditions must be right, thus an arena for the statesman to act.
 J. Fundamental constituents of nature: form, matter and movement
       1. Statesman must be descriptive and empirical to ascertain the possibilities
          of the actual
       2. Also must consider the ideal to give form to the possibilities

*Note:  Aristotle divides governments into six types, three ruled by the best one, few or many and their negative forms were rule is in the hand of those not guided by reason but by self-interest.

 

 Next week: The Twilight of the City-State

Notes on "A History of Political Theory" -- Episode 3

For episode 2 see here.

 Theory of the City-State

III.Plato: The Republic
 A. Elaborated from Socrates the belief that there is a discoverable, objective
      good life for the individual and the polis
 B. Political philosophy is the effort to discover this 'good life'
 C. Plato's version primarily found in The Republic, Statesman and Laws (written
      in that order)
 D. The Republic concerns the good man and the good life and the means for
      knowing what these are and how to attain them
       1.Political theory of The Republic an over simplified version of the later
        presentation. Plato's fundamental focus was the soul (psych, the inner polis]
       2. The good is objectively real, will is secondary
       3. Man with knowledge of the good ought to have decisive power in the polis
       4. Association of man with man in society depends on reciprocal needs and
          resulting exchange of goods and services.
       5. Philosopher attends to his share of the work, three classes are all
         necessary
       6. Class-based specialization of function depends on natural aptitude and
         training (whereby the given is made better) 
       7. Two parts of the theory:
           i. government ought to be art (techne) depending on exact knowledge 
           ii. society is mutual satisfaction of needs by persons whose capacities
              supplement each other
 E. The public is the great sophist
       1. Man has a split nature, higher and lower
       2. Politicians, especially in a democracy, are ignorant and  incompetent
       3. The incompetence of popular opinion ought to be countered through
        education -- the coupling of questioning and training
 F. Factional conflict arises from class, property owners vs the poor
 G. The Republic presented the 'ideal city' because it was important for the
      statesman -- the 'physician' of the state  -- to know the healthy city
       1. Plato wanted to establish the art of politics
       2. The ideal city modeled along the lines of geometry and ideal types
 H. Conceived society as a system of services in which every member both gives
      and receives
       1. Men have many wants
       2. No man is self-sufficient
       3. The state seeks to arrange the most adequate satisfaction of needs and
        most harmonious interchange of services
 I. Man receives freedom not for exercise of free will as much as for the practice
    of his calling (given by nature)
       1. Exchange implies division of labor
       2. Man has natural aptitudes which become skills when men apply them-
        selves to what they are given, as they work at it.
       3. Philosopher rules because his knowledge is at once his right and duty to
        do so
       4. Assumes that properly educated, man is not anti- or unsocial and can live
        in harmony.
           i. Man and the state have underlying structure
           ii. These structures are parallel, what is good for one is prevented from
             being different from what is good for the other (the polis is the individual
             "writ large)
 J. The division of labor necessitates division into three classes
       1. Workers and Guardians (divided into soldiers and rulers) 
       2. Rulers were source of sound knowledge of the good leaving the others as
         political onlookers
 K. Justice is the bond holding society together
       1. All should fill the station to which he is entitled
       2. "giving to every man his due"
           i. Man should be due treatment as what he is, in light of his capacity
             and training
           ii. Due from him is an honest performance of tasks which place accorded
             him requires
       3. What is due is based on services performed not power or "rights"
  L. The task becomes reaching perfect balance between human beings and
      possibilities of significant employment that the state affords 
       1. Achieved by removing hindrances to good citizenship; and
       2. Creating positive conditions of good citizenship through education
 M.  Achieved for rulers through 'communism'
       1. Prohibited from holding private property
       2. Abolition of permanent monogamous sexual relations
       3. Controlled breeding
       4. Wealth equalized to remove disturbing influence on government, along
          with abolition of family (affection)
 N. Education is the positive means to direct human nature
       1. Main reliance placed here
       2. State would control compulsory education
       3. Elementary till age 20, gymnastics and "music" as training, direct or
          indirect, for the mind
 O. The Republic has been eternally the voice of the scholar, as such overly
      simplified, leaving out human dignity and the person
 P. Omits law and influence of public opinion 

Next week: Plato: The Statesman and The Laws
   

 
       
      

Notes on "A History of Political Theory" by George Holland Sabine

For the next few months, I will be recording here notes made in grad school on A History of Political Theory by George Holland Sabine. 

Theory of the City-State

I. City State - Greek political theory
  A. Small territory dominated by single city (the polis) of up to 300 thousand
  B. Three politically & legally distinct classes
       1. Not great amount of leisure due to narrow economic margin
       2. Lower standard of consumption
       3. At the bottom, slaves
       4. Next resident foreigner (metic) and freemen, but neither citizens
       5. Citizens were members of the polis and entitled to take part in its political life
 C. Citizenship
       1. Membership -- some minimum share of participation in public business
       2. Extent of membership shared based on the degree of democracy that prevailed
 D. Political Problem "to discover what place each kind or class of men merited in a
      wholesome society so constituted that all the significant sorts of social work could go
      on."
 E. Political Institutions of Athens
       1. Assembly (Ecclesia) -- male citizens of 20 years, meeting 10+ times a year
       2. Magistrates -- boards of ten from ten tribes, not re-electable
       3. Body of citizens of cross-section from whole could act for all for short periods
       4. Courts of large popular juries
       5. Council of Fine Hundred -- executive/steering committee of the Assembly
       6. Demes (wards) -- units of local government, hereditary membership.  Presented
           candidates to fill bodies of the central government
       7. Filling of office from panel (by lot) elected by the demes in rough proportion to
           their size. (Important democratic feature as seen by Greeks as lot equalized chances
           to hold office.)
       8. Ten generals (strategoi) chosen by direct election, re-electable. (Also served as
           military governor when needed.)
 F. Assembly
       1. Council of 500 acted as executive
       2. The 500 divided into ten groups of 50 (based on tribe plus one each from the nine
           other tribes) which rotated actual business for 1/10 of term
       3. President (epistates) chosen by lot from the 50 for only one day (and only once in
           lifetime)
 G. Courts (the Heliaia)
       1. Judicial power in civil or criminal cases
       2. Chosen by lot from 6000 elected each year from demes
       3. Range in size from 201-501
       4. Not appealable since courts acted in name of the whole people
       5. Had authority over magistrates (chosen by lot) who performed administrative
           duties and were examined before taking office, subject to review and audited at
           end of term for use of public funds by the courts
       6. Court could judge a law & quash it as it was equal to the Assembly in both being
           identical to the people
 H. Political ideas/ideals (Athenian
       1. Polis was the highest interest to which men could devote themselves.
       2. Constitution was "mode of life" not a legal structure.
       3. All should, & most desired, to participate.
       4. All citizens should have equal opportunity to hold office.
       5. All should blend to achieve a harmonious common life, the highest goal & chief
           joy of every citizen.
       6. Rights belonged to his station, not attributes of the individual person.
       7. Obligations not forced by state but flow from need to realize his own potentialities.
       8. Freedom & respect for law were basic values.
       9. Belief in discussion as the best way to come to public decision.
       10. "The processes of government are the processes of impartial law which is binding
           because it is right."

Next week:  Political Thought before Plato