“Political Animals” by Aristotle Review Essay

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In describing human being as political animals he means that humans despite of having ability to think they have needs and wants that are general to all the creations that move in the world. These need and wants are vitals which need to be fulfilled and this is what creates the relationship and the similarity which Aristotle says that humans are political animals. Due to this fact, both animals and humans will both go to extreme levels to achieve whatever need or wants they have.

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By this statement Aristotle meant that human beings resemble animals in that both have wants and needs. He however was quick to point out that human beings have an extra privilege over animals. They are able to produce a speech which enable communicate and understand each other clearly than animals through a well developed language.

Human beings also can be able to think of the consequences of their own action while other animals cannot. Ability to reason is therefore a preserve of human beings only and they use it to share and interpret ideas with each other. Human societies arise from a close relationships established by human beings. Nevertheless to have relationship is not a choice of mankind; according to Aristotle it is the nature that has created this potential to enable continuity and development of societies (Allan & James, 367).On the basis of argument I am in accordance to his views of thought in that the concept has clearly been attributed to the subjects in question

Aristotle points out that in the first place for a society to be thriving there must be a union of those who cannot do without each other and that is male and female. It is only through male and female that a race can ensure its continuity.

This according to him is a proof that the site is creation of nature and before an individual is that person when lonely and therefore apart of the whole. Aristotle concludes that any person who is not able to live in a society or finds it no need thinking he is sufficient by himself must either be a god or a beast because he is not part of society. Initially human beings had some possibilities like the animals to remain preserved and get a dated to surroundings.The only difference is the fact that human can control their life’s easily due to their skills and language that are well developed to be able interpret actions and their consequences.

Plato in his case puts it that to find and identify one self will depend on an individuals small-mindedness and that is unless one identifies his natural gifts or talents, they will not become good citizens and or accepted members of a society but he will be accepted only if he plays the games required by the society, the games includes norms that govern the society which will always develop from as far as early childhood along an individuals development.

But this view is different from that of Aristotle who says that the language we have is the tool that help an individual socialize in a community and it makes them draw closer to each other in the process they share ideas that will lead to liking of the individual and for a society to grow alive, a union must exist between each other that is male, female and children.

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Plato asserts justice is for those who do see the injustice and this comes out if one sees the other as being equal t him in all perspectives but tries to take away the others rights. But stresses that if the other party does not see any deprivation of rights there is still justice done thus it still justifies justice as the inequality for the unequal and this convinces a lot because there is the realization caused by the willingness to use the skills that are unique in humans so as to realize that there are some rights denied and thus injustice done.

In the past when societies began to expand people discovered that they needed to work together to enable a self sufficient society. People were able to work for themselves and make their own living as they also produced goods for exchange which helped the society as whole to expand. The societies grew in size and had to set up laws to ensure justice and hence it became political. The society could no more continue with better trades and another medium of exchange had t be developed. That is how money started existing and the art of creating wealth began with people wanting to get more of money. According to Aristotle that is how human being have developed to being referred to as political animals (Roger, 112).

Aristotle philosophies differ in many ways with that of his teacher Plato. One of their major differences was their goals in the species functionality. Plato establishes a goal in his position that injustice is not preferable than justice and sheds more light on doing just but fails to give or prescribe a path to acquiring justice. His human function argument depicts human being as a model city where every person has a role and the city is busy while everyone performs their own functions (Allan & James, 368). Aristotle on the other hand concentrates on examining happiness as the ultimate good to pursue a thing that he succeed in giving a path to happiness. He concludes that the way of attaining happiness is through fulfilling ones function and expression of reason in excellent manner.

Plato also differ with his student on conceptualization of the human function.Plato defines human function as a reflection, living, ruling, and taking care of things. Aristotle views human function as performance of activities that expresses reason. their definitions clearly illustrate their difference as Plato seems to incline has thought on person’s place in society while Aristotle approach lean on a more individualistic point.

Plato and Aristotle have a thing in common in that both are concerned with same problems as philosophers in world transformed by both scientific and technological advancements.according to Plato people have remained the same for years. Creating the difference is to mean history of difference is an impossible subject. Plato tried to draw a distinction between knowledge and belief in his quest to understand human being. He says that most people have beliefs which by themselves are unstable. According to him anybody with knowledge must act appropriately and he therefore inked his met theory with his political philosophy (Roger, 98).

Plato and Aristotle viewed living things as universally sharing same characteristics of species. They both described species as objects an idea that was supported by Darwin later. The Darwin theories however challenged the philosophical assumptions made by both Aristotle and Plato in their view of species. In his theory Darwin pointed out that in the given along time and a favorable condition a species is capable of transforming its nature giving rise to a new species.

In the process which he called natural selection Darwin was emphatic on individual members of a certain species because it was them and not the species that will thrive. In his controversial theory he insisted that it is our ignorance of variation is a great and insisted that each species have a fixed nature given to it by nature. In the process of natural selection each change has to occur through a step of gradations (Cohen & Marc, 120).

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Aristotle’s concept of justice was divided into areas (Roger, 98). He viewed as both general and particular justice. According to his thoughts on general justice it is justice for all and termed it as universal justice that on possible through in a perfect society. The Aristotle’s particular justice is the one punishable specifically for a specific crime or an act of injustice. the issue of human existence informs Aristotle concept of justice in that human being are able to establish laws and order capable for enabling them identify what is just and what is not.

Aristotle in his support for particular justice said that a knowledgeable educated judge is expected to apply decisions that are just concerning any particular case. he further described the concept of scales of justice as symbolizing a judge who is blindfolded hence not able to balance the scales weigh the evidence or provide just ruling (Barnes & Jonathon,112).

Developing a good habits and virtues are the ways of a making a good human being according to Aristotle and is part of his work in ethics of Nicomachean (Code & Alan 104). Aristotle believed that knowledge of ethics is precise knowledge like mathematics or physic which applies logical skills. Ethical knowledge is general like knowledge on exercise and nutrition. It is also practical as opposed to being theoretical. One for example cannot simply study what virtue rather than practicing virtuosity. To be a good swimmer is about both practice and study.

The goal for doing ethics according to him is being good an aspect that by itself a source of happiness. That happiness could not be found in pleasure only nor in fame and honor. He believed that every virtue which is ethical is an intermediate condition between a deficiency and an excess. He also highlighted certain emotions like hate jealousy, envy, spite and also certain actions such as adultery murder and theft as always wrong regardless the circumstances (Cohen & Marc, 110).

Aristotle concept of justice is convincing because he brings up the practical ways of acquiring justice. He comes out with a reasonable objective in the concept and that is attaining the highest good. According to him this must come in three characteristics which include being desirable of its own good and also not desirable of some other goods. Every skill and inquiry and similarly every choice and action must have some good which the concept of justice establishes as an object (Allan & James, 367).

Happiness could not be found only in pleasure as this will be ridiculous if the end were also exciting. According to Aristotle happiness is also not only fame and honor as it seems the interest of many, it rest to the person who give the honor more than who receives it therefore through giving rather than receiving that true happiness can be achieved.

Aristotle also analyzed the soul as a source of happiness and depicted it as to consist of three parts. The nutritive soul found in plants human beings and animals is responsible for growth and reproducing. The perceptive soul is the sensitive soul found in both man and animals and it is responsible for perception via the senses. The soul is the rational soul which is found in human only and is responsible for thinking (Code & Alan, 56).

In the Current society justice is regarded as the key principle guiding societies and institutions while in the ancient times of the Aristotle people took justice as a virtue. The world democracy has experienced an enormous conversion over the last couple of years which led to protection of human rights. This formed part of the great the philosophers dream.

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Work cited

Allan G. and James G. Animals and Other Beings in Aristotle.’), theoretical concern in Aristotle’s natural science, 1987. 359-97. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Barnes, Jonathon ‘Aristotle’s notion of intelligence.’ events of the Aristotelian civilization 1979. 72 : 105-11.

Code, Alan ‘Soul as resourceful basis in Aristotle’s Embryology.’ idealistic subject 1999. 15: 52-7. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.

Cohen, S and Marc. ‘the concept of Hylomorphism and actualization of Functionalism.’ Ancient Philosophy. 1992. 6: 110-27.

Roger Trigger The ideas of human nature: a historical introduction, 2006. 96-117. Reprinted in Barnes, Schofield, and Soraji.

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IvyPanda. (2021) '"Political Animals" by Aristotle Review'. 24 September.

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IvyPanda. 2021. ""Political Animals" by Aristotle Review." September 24, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/political-animals-by-aristotle-review/.

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