DOES ARISTOTLE'S POLITICAL THEORY REST ON A 'BLUNDER'?

In: History of political thought, Band 13, Heft 2, S. 189-202

Abstract

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES CONCERNING ARISTOTLE'S POLITICAL THEORY IS WHETHER HIS NATURALISTIC APPROACH TO POLITICS IS CONSISTENT WITH HIS GENERAL POLITICAL THEORY. THE QUESTION HAS ARISEN: HOW CAN IT BE POSSIBLE THAT A POLIS IS BOTH A NATURAL THING AND A RESULT OF HUMAN CONSCIOUS CONSTRUCTION? THIS ARTICLE ATTEMPTS TO PROVIDE A COHERENT AND THEORETICALLY PLAUSIBLE INTERPRETATION OF ARISTOTLE'S THEORY OF THE NATURALNESS OF THE POLIS. IT ALSO ATTEMPTS TO TO OFFER AN INTERPRETATION THAT IS NOT SO WEAK THAT IT WOULD DEGENERATE INTO THE 'NATURAL TO MAN' VERSION, BUT IS NOT SO STRONG THAT IT WOULD EXCLUDE ANY NOTION OF HUMAN INVOVEMENT IN THE EXISTENCE AND MAINTENANCE OF THE POLIS. AFTER HIS EXAMINATION, THE AUTHOR CONCLUDES THAT THE THEORY IS NOT THE BLUNDERED DOCTRINE ITS CRITICS SUPPOSE IT TO BE.