POL200Y1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Eudaimonia, Rationality, Glaucon
Written approximately half a century after the Republic
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Aristotle was a student of Plato
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Christian thought rational / ordered soul
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Theories were influential - Aquinas
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Appetites - desire to achieve aim
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Teleological: telos (end) - refers to scientific understanding that things
have specific ends / aims --> functionality
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Thinkers assumed there was agent (God) to contribute, create things
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Nature was rationally intelligible --> purpose for everything
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Science of humankind based on telos - understood as a whole to have
specific telos / aim --> soul
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What is human good / purpose / flourishing
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Design society that enables humans to live well
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Politics needs to understand what is good
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Principle of growth and decay (aging) - plants, animals
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Souls die with bodies
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Soul: life principle that enables motion within selves
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Ethics: humans live well if government helps to enable excellences of
character / intellect - potential, constitution
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Excellence of human being (justice, self-control)
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Dependent on practical intellect (prudence) - enables you to make
decisions
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Theoretical intellect - framework provided for flourishing
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Contrast: emphasis on political participation where justice and
practical reasoning could be exercised
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Activities of citizenship (not in Kallipolis)
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Continuing Plato's emphasis on education
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Emphasized private world, neglecting public conception of what is
good - we should decide for ourselves
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Liberal democracies have neglected functions of citizen
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We have lost goods of citizenship
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Plausible and secular basis for theories of human good
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Aristotle Intro
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Believes there are different types of science
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Aristotle began concept of political science
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Based on judgment, not math
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Doesn't try to answer things absolutely
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In order to rule, ruler needs to know about good
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Certain kind of activity of the soul (self-development)
Eudaimonia --> flourishing, thriving, happiness
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Ethics and Politics
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Lecture 1.10: Aristotle Intro to
Politics
, Books 1.1-7,
1.12-13, 2.1-5
November 17, 2016
5:45 PM
LECTURE Page 27
Document Summary
Lecture 1. 10: aristotle intro to politics, books 1. 1-7, Written approximately half a century after the republic. Teleological: telos (end) - refers to scientific understanding that things have specific ends / aims --> functionality. Thinkers assumed there was agent (god) to contribute, create things. Nature was rationally intelligible --> purpose for everything. Science of humankind based on telos - understood as a whole to have specific telos / aim --> soul. What is human good / purpose / flourishing. Design society that enables humans to live well. Soul: life principle that enables motion within selves. Principle of growth and decay (aging) - plants, animals. Ethics: humans live well if government helps to enable excellences of character / intellect - potential, constitution. Dependent on practical intellect (prudence) - enables you to make decisions. Contrast: emphasis on political participation where justice and practical reasoning could be exercised. Emphasized private world, neglecting public conception of what is good - we should decide for ourselves.
