FREE ESSAY ON ARISTOTLE'S POLITICAL IDEAL

ARISTOTLE'S POLITICAL IDEAL

Aristotle's Political Ideal
"It is not Fortune's power to make a city good; that is a matter of scientific planning
and deliberative policy." Aristotle, along with most of the prominent thinkers of his
time, theorized upon what the Ideal Political State would be and through what means it
could be obtained. Aristotle wrote on this discussion of the Ideal State in books VII and
VIII of The Politics.
What Aristotle observed around him were the prevalent city-states of ancient Greece. It
is commonly believed that he did not have a vision of the large nation-state and
especially not such great federations as the United States and Russia. What Aristotle
referred to when he spoke about state, is a limited sized city-state that is formed by
the grouping of several villages. He also believed that a nation is too large for a
state: his state was about the right size so that all members of the state could meet in
a single assembly. Aristotle's state was nearly self-sufficient so that the bare needs of
life were met and continued "for the sake of a good life" for its people.
This continuing prosperity for the sake of a good life is what Aristotle believes the
goal of the ideal state should be. Aristotle said "that life is best, both for the
individuals and for the cities, which has virtue sufficiently supported by material
wealth to enable it to perform the action that virtue calls for it". He feels that since
man, as individuals, strives for happiness, then man, as a collective group, should
strive for the happiness of the state. Since it is now established what the ideal state
should aim for, we may begin at what and by the Ideal State is composed.
The Ideal State, of which Aristotle thought of, has as its quality of land that which is
most universally productive. This would include natural resources, such as wood and
crops, so that the inhabitants of the cities would have adequate amounts of food and
other resources in order to be self-sufficient. The Ideal State should be a size such as
the citizens can live a life of a free man where he is adequately provided for, but not a
life where he lives through a vice of extravagance. (Aristotle made a clear distinction
as to who should and should not be a citizen of the state. His ideal state is certainly
not a democratic one that enables all who live there to be a citizen.) The main city of
the state should be positioned so that it is easily accessible from both sea and land.
Aristotle also felt that walls and other such defensive protections should guard the town
itself. The defenders of the town must always seek additional means of defense by the aid
of scientific inquiry. He believed that the proper positioning of the city between sea
and land will give way to three distinct advantages: "first it will be equally
well-placed for the operations in all direction; also it will form and entrepot for the
receipt of incoming foodstuffs; and it will have access to timber and other raw materials
the land may be able to produce."
Aristotle's Ideal State should be situated in such a place so that it would be hard for
an enemy to attract and easy for an expeditionary force to depart from. The city should
be developed on a slope. This will allow for good health when combined with being faced
east, with the winds blowing from the direction of the sunrise. The town should be
organized in a quincunx (the same pattern used to plant vines), and make sure that the
whole city is not laid out in geometric intervals. This will allow for both safety and
good appearance of the city.
Plato, in his Republic, expressed a great disapproval of seaports, navies, foreign trade,
and foreign travel in his writings on the political ideal. Aristotle on the other hand
felt that seaports are a necessary part of the Ideal State. He believed that it was
necessary for people to import things that they do not produce themselves, and export
those products of which they have a surplus. Aristotle explained that the Ideal State
should be able to establish itself as a formidable power, or be able to render aid on
both land and sea.
Aristotle expressed the need for adequate amounts of water, and for clean, unpolluted
drinking water. He said that "water, and especially spring water, should be abundant and
if possible under immediate control in time of war." Aristotle later added the need of
water to preserve proper health when he declared that "air and water, being just those
things we make most frequent and constant use of, have the greatest effect on our bodily
condition." This drinking water should be separated from all-purpose water.
Aristotle, in his designing of the Ideal State, was quite concerned with the health and
well being of the state's citizens. This may be why Aristotle believed that the best
ruled state would be ruled by a wise and experienced group of elder citizens. In order
for there to be a large enough populous of elder citizens to maintain the management of
the city it is critical that they must maintain the proper health so that they will be
enabled to do so.
Who should make up the state is a simple question—citizens should make up the
state. But exactly whom did Aristotle consider a citizen? Aristotle believes that a
citizen is not an individual with common residence or blood relationship, but one who is
in direct participation in the deliberative and judicial functions of the community. This
excludes resident aliens, children, women, slaves, and members of the working class. The
citizens should be Greek, as Aristotle believed that Europeans have drive without
intelligence, and the Asiatic's have intelligence without drive. Aristotle believed that
only those that are able to give time to the government should be able to participate in
it. This is why he felt that only some could be members of the ruling government while
others could not. Aristotle did not believe in representative government, he believed in
a direct government ruled by qualified and educated citizens whose goal was the wellness
of the state and not their own political gain.
By modern definition, Aristotle would surely be considered racist, classist and sexist
all at the same time and this is true. Aristotle is known to have criticized Sparta for
the freedom given to women there, but at the same time he condemns Sparta's oppressive
serfdom. Aristotle is a scientist, and as such, he observes and interprets what he sees.
Slavery was a universally accepted thing, yet Aristotle grants the slave the faculty of
reason, the capacity of freedom, and the right to look forward to freedom. But Aristotle
still held the view of his time that the slave was subhuman, and therefore was able to be
ruled over. This was inherent in nature, so he did not challenge the institution of
slavery. Euripides and Alcidamas did in their thinking.
Aristotle believed heavily in a graduated class system that would include such classes as
agricultural workers, craftsmen, and paid laborers. The agricultural workers, Aristotle
concludes, will be slaves, or non-Greeks, dwelling in the area surrounding the city. But
the class most important to maintain the state, Aristotle refers to as the ruling class.
This class will take care of the military and deliberative elements of the state. This is
the ruling class that was previously discussed as the citizens of Aristotle's Ideal
State. They would live neither a commercial life nor an agricultural life, for Aristotle
feels that the ruling class must have "leisure to cultivate their virtue and talents,
time for activities of a citizen." The citizens would earn their livings by being
purveyors of the land that the lower classes would work
The duties of the ruling class would be to handle the state in both its military and
civil functions. But each member of the ruling class can not handle both of these
functions simultaneously, therefore, during a citizen's youth, when he is strong and more
able; he will serve in the military aspect of society. As the citizen grows older and
wiser, he will begin to take on more of a role in the civil duty of the state, or choose
to serve the gods and be appointed to priestly offices. The private property of the state
is also to belong to the ruling class, for it is essential that citizens should have
ample subsidence. Aristotle made a distinct comment that he did not believe in any sort
of communally owned land.
Aristotle believes that man's well being depends on two distinct factors. The first being
the "right choice of target, of the end to which actions should tend, the other lies in
finding the actions that lead to that end." This same principle follows for the best
constitution in that in order for the constitution to work, it must have a clear goal,
and the correct way of attaining that goal. The goal of Aristotle's Ideal Constitution is
for a well-executed and suitably maintained system, in order that desired happiness shall
be attained.
This Ideal Constitution is not the same for all since "different sets of people seek
their happiness in different ways and by different means so it is little wonder that
their lives are different or that they have different political constitutions." If this
is true, then how can you have one ideal constitution? The answer is you can not have one
Ideal Constitution, but you can have the basic elements of the ideal constitution in
order to have a functioning city. These basic elements are food, handicrafts and their
tools, arms, wealth, religion, and justice. Arms must be carried at all times by members
of the ruling class for internal government in the event of civil disobedience, and to
halt outside aggression. Wealth is required for both war and internal needs, and the
method of justice needs to be developed so that there is a clear method of arriving at
decisions, both about policy and about matters of wrong and right. These basic elements,
minus religion and arms, in some cases are elements that for the most part have been
carried along throughout the ages and many times are commonly taken for granted as the
inherent responsibilities of nations.
It is declared in the constitution that all citizens "must share in the business of
ruling and being ruled by "turns." There are several reasons why Aristotle believes that
this is the ideal way in which the state should be run, and only in a few cases can he
conceive of it otherwise. First, he believes that if one group was superior over another
group, such as in the case of gods and heroes, then they should be capable of ruling over
others. In the case of the Ideal State, he declares that citizens are equals, and
therefore, they should share in the ruling of the state or else it would be contrary to
justice. Next, he believes that "one who is to be come a good ruler must first himself be
ruled". This is to prevent a large revolutionary element, and to promote an element in
which the laws shall be better regarded. This is also so that no one can have any great
objection to the rule by seniority, or be able to think himself too good for it, because
he realizes that once he reaches the required age he too may rule and get what he earned
by waiting.
Aristotle's vision of his ideal state is one that is in stark contrast with all of the
prominent civilizations of the 20th century. It is especially different than a democratic
nation such as our own. In addition, the Aristotelian Political State is one built upon a
classist theory that we, as modern Americans, have been raised to find deplorable and
harsh. Yet we live in a society that is greatly based, not just recognized in our
constitution the way it would have been in Aristotle's ideal. Also, the caste system has
been in effect in India for hundreds of years and has yet to be greatly challenged or
changed. 
Aristotle's goal of his society was for the happiness of the citizens through moral
virtue. Aristotle would have found our modern capitalist society, which is based on
profit, deeply disturbing. The Aristotelian state is one that has a community aspect to
it; Aristotle was in favor of such things, such as communal meals, and meeting centers so
that citizens could develop productive and happy relationships with fellow citizens. The
ruling of the state is one that would share the duty among the citizens. This policy is
one that would enable peace to be kept among all, and would prevent bureaucracy, the
downfall of democracy mixed with capitalism. He advocated scientific inquiry and
development of technology. Though Aristotle had no vision of massively large nations, and
we have trouble conceiving the world without such large nations, it may be that such
large centrally run nations are just too big to control. Therefore, it is important to
note that the largest and longest standing empire of the world is the Roman Empire, one
that implicated small municipalities that were run in ways similar to the Aristotelian
and ancient Greek ideals. Most modern, western nations have faired no better than a few
years without war, or revolution or something to that effect, so perhaps we need to look
back and take lessons from the great thinkers of the ancient past. As old and forgotten
as they are, the ideas Aristotle originally presented are new and fresh should many of
them be thought about and greeted.
Bibliography
-  Aristotle, The Politics, ed. S. Everson (Cambridge, 1988).
-  Mulgan, R, Aristotle's Political Theory (Oxford, 1977).