RAJIV GANDHI NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF LAW,PUNJAB,PATIALA

SEMINAR PRESENTATION
B.A,LL.B(HONS.)
FIRST YEAR (SECOND SEMESTER)

Political Science

Greek Political Thought

Kinds of State of Aristotle: Contemporary Example

ARISTOTLE (384 - 322 BC)

 Aristotle came to Athens to study under Plato

from the age of 18 to 37.
 Around 340 B.C., when he was over 40, Aristotle
returned to his home, Stagira, and he became
tutor to the king’s son, soon to become Alexander
the Great.
 Aristotle's writings were the first to create a
comprehensive system of Western philosophy,
encompassing morality and aesthetics, logic and
science, politics and metaphysics.
ARISTOTLE’S IDEAL STATE
 The kind of state Aristotle has in mind is the relatively
small city-state of fourth century Greece. Aristotle has
described his state as the ideal state or the city state
i.e. polis.
 He has talked about the government which maintains
its legitimacy by serving the good life for the people.
 He has described the state as an association of free
men.
 The kind of democracy he desires for his state is given
the name polity.
Contd.
 He assures political control to be exercised by the
mass of the populace in the common interest.
 The state is the highest form of community; it is a
natural entity, and does not exist merely by convention.

 Aristotle believes that a state exists for the sake of the

good or happy life, so that the best form of government
will be one which promotes the well-being of all of its
citizens.
 RELATIONS WITHIN THE CITY-STATE

 According to him, the city state must aim at

achieving the highest good.

 Aristotle defends the institution of private property

condemns excessive capitalism and defends the
institution of slavery.
 Contemporary Relevance?
 In the contemporary scenario, the concept of city
state is not possible. No country in the
contemporary world is on the lines of Aristotle's
city state.

 In a city state, the slaves were not considered as

citizens. Hence, there were no voting rights for
them.

 Today the concept of welfare state has taken over.

Contd.
 Even Aristotle’s virtuous never existed in his own
day. It was like the Plato’s city in the Republic,
less an attainable reality than a model.

 How could even Aristotle’s natural or virtous city,

which is of same or less size than actual size of the
cities of Greece be of any guidance to the huge
and sprawling nations of the today?
THANK YOU
PRESENTED TO-
Mrs. Shveta Dhaliwal
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN POL. SCI.

PRESENTED BY-
MR.JATIN GARG
ROLL NO-552