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States are going to form, whether purposefully or coincidentally. For this reason, certain
rules have to be enacted for the well-being of the state. The main way to institutionalize
rules is through government and in the form of laws. Plato's The Republic is not an
explication of laws of the people. It is a separation of power amongst three
classes--Rulers, Auxiliaries, Commoners--that makes the most of each person's natural
abilities and strives for the good of the community. The point is to create a harmonious
unity amongst the three classes which will lead to the greater good of the community
and, consequently, each individual.
The three classes are a product of different aptitude levels for certain tasks amid
various individuals. Plato assigns different political roles to different members of each
class. It appears that the only classes that are allowed to participate in government are
the Auxiliaries and, of course, the Philosopher Rulers. The lower class does not partake
in politics because they are not mentally able. In other words, they do not understand
the concept of the forms. Thus, it is better to allow the Philosophers, who do have this
knowledge, to lead them. Providing food and abode for the Guardians is the only
governmental responsibility the lower class has. The Auxiliaries are in charge of the
military, police, and executive duties. Ruling and making laws is reserved for the
Philosopher Rulers whose actions are all intended for the good of the state. To ensure
that public good continues to be foremost on each Ruler's agenda, the Rulers live in
community housing, hold wives/children in common, and do not own private
property. The separation of classes is understood by everybody Self-interest, which
could be a negative factor in the scheme of things, is eliminated through a very moral
oriented education system. All these provisions are generated to maintain unity of the
state. The most extravagant precaution that Plato takes is the Foundation Myth of the
metals. By making the people believe, through a myth, that the distinction of each class
is biological as well as moral, Plato reassures that there won't be any disruption in the
harmony of the state.
Whereas Plato's The Republic is a text whose goal is to define Justice and in
doing so uses the polis, Aristotle's The Politics' sole function is to define itself--define
politics. Aristotle begins his text by answering the question: "Why does the state exist?"
His answer is that the state is the culmination of natural associations that start with the
joining of man and woman ("pair"), which have a family and form a "household";
households unite and form villages; villages unite and form the state. This natural order
of events is what is best because it provides for the needs of all the individuals.
Aristotle, like Plato, believes that a person is not self-reliant. This lack of sufficiency is
the catalyst in the escalating order of unions among people.
In The Politics, it appears that Aristotle is not very set on breaking down society.
His argument says that there are different classes in society, but they are naturally
defined. For example, he devotes a lot of time to an explanation of the "naturalness" of
slaves and their role in society. Aristotle is also very sexist and explicitly states so. His
view is that women are inferior to men in all senses. Perhaps the most pertaining to our
discussion is the citizen, whose role is purely political. Both Plato and Aristotle seem to
agree that some people are not capable of practicing an active role in political life.
Plato's reason is that the lower class is not mentally adept for the intricacies of higher
knowledge on the good. Aristotle seems to base his opinion on a more political issue.
He believes that only those that fully participate in their government should be
considered citizens of the state. For this reason, he excludes workers as citizens because
they would not have the required time to openly participate in politicking.
The Aristotelian polis, as opposed to Plato's, is a city with a large middle class
which promotes stability and balances the conflicting claims of the poor and the rich.
Aristotle combines elements of democracy with elements of aristocracy, again to balance
opposing claims. Because he is aware that human interest is an inextricable entity, the
distribution of scarce and valuable goods is in proportion to contribution to the good of
the polis. This system provides for the self interested who believe that those who work
harder should receive more. Another point is that the citizens rule and are ruled in turn,
insofar as the mixed social system allows. This is permissible because of the strong
involvement of the citizens in government; it is what one would call a "true democracy."
Overall, a spirit of moderation prevails.
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