POLI 1001 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Happy Human, Physis, Henry Kissinger
3/2/15
I “Fundamental Issues” and Political Philosophy
II Aristotle 384-822 BC
➢ Born in Greece
➢ Studied for 20 years with Plato
➢ Tutored Alexander the Great
➢ Wrote foundational works for any different fields of studies (political science, ethics,
poetics, logic, metaphysics, etc.)
➢ Presents methods of both sides of an issue
III Aristotle’s Method and Key Idea: Nature (physis)
➢ Natural things have own character and own being; not dependent of human conventions.
➢ Physis v. Nomos – distinction between nature and convention (law).
o Units of time serves as an example.
▪ day = nature (defined without us because of rotation of Earth)
▪ year = nature (Earth’s complete revolution around sun)
▪ hour = convention (human decision that 1 hour = 60 minutes)
▪ minute = convention (human decision)
▪ week = convention (known through Genesis, so also nature)
➢ Thought human happiness was found living a life according to nature. This was achieved
by living life according to virtue.
➢ Acorn and oak analogy (growing to live mature, happy life)
IV City by Nature (polis)
➢ Orderly community of human beings
➢ City has parts:
o Household, Village, Neighborhood
➢ Human beings can live happy in a polis
➢ We have capacity to understand who we are as human, and also to understand nature and
other animals and environment. (Understanding nature of things and understanding what
will make us happy.)
➢ Not a relativist or realist (understand things in best form; happy human beings related to
virtue)
➢ Happiness is only achieved through others; city.
➢ City is only big as people can know each other’s character. Live happily among people
who are virtuous.
[Household (oikos)]
V Slavery
➢ Business was organized through and around family.
➢ Productive community surrounds the family.
VI Economics
➢ Modern economics = social production (factories and organized communities with
employees)
➢ oikos nomos = economics (rule of the household)
VII Family
3/4/15
I Household – Book I
➢ Slavery
o Is slavery by nature? (Is it just? in a limited circumstance because they help live)
o The slave that is just is the one that needs someone to do for them and tell them
what to do (some are unable to govern themselves)
➢ Acquisition
➢ Family
o Master gives orders
o King does what’s best for citizens (dad and children)
o Political rule is the rule of equal over equal (husband and wife) (holding office for
number of years; taking turns)
II Citizen (polites) – Book III
➢ City is made up of citizens (head of household is citizen)
➢ Citizen defined as one who participates in rule of city (govern)
➢ Anyone can vote and choose who holds office and anyone can be in juries
III Regime (politeia) – Book III (kind of city and citizenship)
IV Living/Living Well
➢ City is not just about living, but ensuring that people can live well
➢ Living well means living happily
➢ Enough to live virtuously
3/9/15
I Reviewing Aristotle
➢ Analysis of different regimes (types of government and ordering a city)
➢ Law encouraging morality
➢ Importance of friendship
➢ Goods are incommensurable (not true that if you have more virture you need less
freedom; not true that if you have more wealth you need less virtue)
II Hobbes’ Political Theory
Document Summary
Wrote foundational works for any different fields of studies (political science, ethics, poetics, logic, metaphysics, etc. ) Presents methods of both sides of an issue. Iii aristotle"s method and key idea: nature (physis) Natural things have own character and own being; not dependent of human conventions. Thought human happiness was found living a life according to nature. This was achieved by living life according to virtue. Acorn and oak analogy (growing to live mature, happy life) City has parts: household, village, neighborhood. Human beings can live happy in a polis. We have capacity to understand who we are as human, and also to understand nature and other animals and environment. (understanding nature of things and understanding what will make us happy. ) Not a relativist or realist (understand things in best form; happy human beings related to virtue) Happiness is only achieved through others; city. City is only big as people can know each other"s character.
