POL200Y1 Lecture : notes
Document Summary
Today"s lecture: finishing aristotle on slavery, ancient + modern politics, citizenship, constitution + polis, criticizing constitutions (regimes, classifying constitutions (regimes, several puzzles, justice in political life, democracy. Finishing aristotle on slavery: four observations, engaging with the argument of aristotle on slavery o. He does realize some of his shortcomings: aristotle may have influenced his student, alexander the great o. Alexander used macedonians and greeks to govern the cities he conquered in. He placed the indigenous people in the underprivileged class. Aristotle urged alexander to be a master towards the barbarians. Though this is speculative, it does make historical sense. Aristotle may have even alluded to alexander when he discussed absolute kingship: aristotle"s own best polis relies on its food production and other materials on an underclass of serfs not part of the citizen body o o o. His theory therefore is integral to his account of the best polis. Slavery is therefore inextricably linked to his account of the polis.