In Aristotle's Political Thought - T-Space - University of Toronto

193 Pages·1998·9.87 MB·English

The Meaning of Aristocracy
In Aristotle's Political Thought
Liz Anne Alexander
-4 thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements
for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Graduate Department of Political Science
Lniversity of Toronto
Copyright @ 199'7 by Liz Anne Alesander
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Abstract
The Meanzng of Aristocracy in Aristotle's Political Thought
Liz Anne Alexander
Ph.D. 1997, Graduate Department of Political Science, University of Toronto
What is the relationship between Aristotle's concern for the best regime and virtue
and his concern for practical political matters? This is one of the most perplexing
interpretative questions of the Polztics. By investigating the meaning of aristocracy
in the Politics, we get a much better understanding of this relationship than currently
esists. We learn that there are actually two best regimes in the Politics. lhere is
the regime discussed in books VI1 and VIII, w-hich Aristotle esplicitly presents as the
best regime. It is an aristocratic regime and it functions as an aristocratic standard
for commonly existing regimes. .~ristotle7cso ncern for it and the virtue that defines
it is part of his concern for practical political matters. But Aristotle also quietly
presents another regime as the best regime in the Politics. It is aristocracy in the
strict sense of the term or the simply best regirne. Aristotle discusses it in book III
of the Polztics and it turns out to be the same as the best regime in logos of Plato's
Republzc, the regime ruled by philosopher-kings. The simply best regime is not any
sort of standard for existing regimes. .4ristotle's concern for it and the virtue that
defines it is not directly related to his concern for practical political matters. The
investigation of aristocracy reveals that the concern for the best regime and virtue
in the Politics is both part of and separate from the concern for practical political
matters. But since Aristotle only quietly presents the teaching on the sirnply best
regime. the investigation also elucidates the peculiar character of his political thought.
of how it aims primarily yet not exclusively at practical political matters.
Acknowledgments
1 would first of al1 like to thank my supervisor, Clifford Onvin, for his always insightfui
advice and his encouragement at every stage of this work. 1 am also very much
indebted to Thomas Pangle for his guidance and assistance. Ronald Beiner. the t hird
mernber of my supervisory cornmittee, provided very useful advice for improving rny
discussion of the seconda- literature. I am indebted to James Alvey for reading and
commenting on early versions of the dissertation and for his encouragement: and to
Adam Grove for reading and commenting on the nearly final draft. Benjamin Wongo
Jeffrey Sikkenga, and Ji11 Yang read and commented on preliminary work leading to
the dissertation. 1 will always be indebted to my first teacher in political philosophy.
Leon Craig, and thank him for his ongoing support. 1 would also like to thank Heidi
Studer for her assistance. The support of my sister: Judy Walker, and cousin. Beno
John, was also instrumental in the completion of this work. Shelley MacLarty and
Margaret McKone, the current and former graduate administrators, cleared away
various administrative hurdles throughout the course of my graduate education. And
Peter Russell, who was graduate chair during the first part of my candidacy, provided
his guidance. 1 would also like to acknowledge the three years of financial support
provided by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, in the
form of a doctoral fellowship. My greatest debt in completing this work. however. is
to my husband, Fahiem Bacchus. For without his sure guidance in the actual mriting
of it. his resolute encouragement. and inestimable support. it would not have seen
the light of day.
Contents
1 Introduction 1
2 The Best Regimes of the Politics 10
2.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.2 The Shltiplicity of Aristocracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2.3 The Two Best Regimes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
2.4 The Sirnply Best Regime Esplained . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
2.5 -1ristotle's Innovation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
'2.6 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
3 The Middle Realm 55
.
3.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . m*
3.2 TheLesser.~ristocracies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
3.3 The Best Possible Regime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
3.3.1 The Middle Class Regime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
3.3.2 Difficulties with the Middle Class Regime . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
vii
..
,
3.3.3 Gentlemen and the Best Possible Regime . . . . . . . . . . . . a
3.3.4 The Best Possible Regime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
3.4 The Best Regime for Most Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
3.5 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
4 Virtue and the City 93
4.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
4 The Spartan Regime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
4.3 The Carthaginian Regime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
4.4 Aristocratic Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
4 .5 The More Feasible Aristocratic Regime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
.
4.6 Democracies Oligarchies, and the Practical Aristocratic Regme . . . 126
4.7 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
5 Conclusion
6 Other Interpretations 144
6.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
6 The Interpretations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
6.3 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Bibliography
Chapter 1
Introduction
It is hardly necessary to justifq- the study of Aristotle's Politics today, when numer-
ous articles and books are being published on the subject. Contemporary political
theorists obviously find it relevant to rheir concerns. But why study what the Pol-
itics has to say about aristocracy? 1s this not a mode of government that has long
been superseded? The subject does not even seem to play a very prominent role in
the Polztics. Different reasons could be given for studying Aristotle's teaching on
aristocracy. But I am going to justi- its study here by showing that it solves one of
the most perplexing interpretative questions concerning the Polztics-the question of
the relationship between Xristotle's concern for the best regime, virtue. and practical
political mat ters.
The best regirne is the subject of book Wi?I and VI11 of the Politics. It aims at