Aristotles Theory of Slavery - 1295 Words

Some aspects of Aristotles theory of slavery Slavery -- natural or conventional? Aristoles theory of slavery is found in Book I, Chapters iii through vii of the Politics. and in Book VII of the Nicomachean Ethics Aristotle raises the question of whether slavery is natural or conventional. He asserts that the former is the case. So, Aristotles theory of slavery holds that some people are naturally slaves and others are naturally masters. Thus he says: But is there any one thus intended by nature to be a slave, and for whom such a condition is expedient and right, or rather is not all slavery a violation of nature? There is no difficulty in answering this question, on grounds both of reason and of fact. For that some should†¦show more content†¦There is a slave or slavery by law as well as by nature. The law of which I speak is a sort of convention-- the law by which whatever is taken in war is supposed to belong to the victors. But this right many jurists impeach, as they would an orator who brought forward an unconstitutional measure: they detest the notion that, because one man has the power of doing violence and is superior in brute strength, another shall be his slave and subject. So, those who hold thatShow MoreRelated Aristotles View of Slavery Essay1285 Words   |  6 Pagestime, for he regarded slavery as a natural course of nature and believed that certain people were born to be slaves due to the fact that their soul lacked the rational part that should rule in a human being; However in certain circumstances it is evident that Aristotle did not believe that all men who were slaves were meant to be slaves. In his book Politics, Aristotle begins with the Theory of The Household, and it is here that the majority of his views upon slavery are found. With the Read MoreThe Nature of Man as Political Animal Essay1723 Words   |  7 Pages Not everyone will agree with Aristotles political theory, but it is essential to understand the principals that underline the new political theories. Aristotles politics is one of the most influential books of political philosophy. His main ideology consists in that a man is by nature a political animal because he can reason and communicate with others, therefore, has the potential to alter or change his living conditions for better because he can recognize the difference from right or wrong.Read More Slavery in Aristotles Works Essay3296 Words   |  14 Pagesinvestigation of any aspect of Aristotle’s political theories is undertaken, we must take a moment to acknowledge that many of the institutions and doctrines he defends have been repudiated in modern political thought. In fact many such institutions are appalling and simply morally wrong. One such institution is slavery. Aristotle argues in the Politics that slavery is just. No argument is needed to conclude that Aristotle made a terrible ethical and moral error in defending slavery. Further we must acceptRead MoreThe Impossible Quest For The Ideal Society1645 Words   |  7 PagesSimpson HON 171 23 September 2016 The Impossible Quest for the Ideal Society The idea of the ideal society is one that has been debated for centuries. Many theories have been conjured up by intellectuals, all with differing divisions of power, wealth, and labor. Two of these competing theories are those presented in Plato’s The Republic and Aristotle’s Politics. While they both present a wide range of views on many issues, this paper will only focus on two issues that go hand-in-hand: slavery’s role inRead MoreEvolution of Slavery in Justice Essay1183 Words   |  5 PagesSlavery is immoral. Why? Because we hold this truth to be self-evident: that all men are created equal? Because life, liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness are unalienable rights endowed by our Creator? (â€Å"Declaration of Independence.† 1776.) Well, not all men are created equal. At least according to our Founding Fathers, African tribes, 18th century Europeans, the ancient Romans and Greeks, and †¦ the Bible. As a matter of fact, slavery has not been im moral from humanity’s (also to be interpretedRead MoreAristotle s Views On Politics1031 Words   |  5 Pages To start off, it is important to understand where Aristotle’s is coming from. Aristotle looked for solutions in a Universal manner. Basically, the principles and solutions for correctness comes from the idea that they have to be natural more than conventional. The idea of the good from Aristotle’s point of view comes from observation, he believed that the good is the final cause(there are three others that will be discussed), and that everyone can understand judgement and collective moral actionRead MorePlato And Aristotle s View Of Civilian Expectations987 Words   |  4 Pagessituations when these laws are detrimental to themselves, or their societies. Firstly, this composition will partake in an analysis of Platonic theory regarding the roles and obligations expected of individuals within a society, referencing specific examples from Crito and othe r scholarly works. In succession, this paper will then dedicate a portion to Aristotle’s view of civilian expectations, and the factors which contribute to an individual’s willingness to accept and comply to governmental guidelinesRead More aristotle Essay859 Words   |  4 Pages a mere part and the city is more important than the individual Aristotle’s admiration of the social system in a polis shows his support to the slavery. The polis consisted of citizens which men were born to citizen parent’s women children and slaves. Men were considered to be the only rational creation and had to engage and contribute in the political association of the city, while slaves were used for work. Aristotle’s above argument had some major weakness and flaws in it, he addressRead MoreAristotle s Views On Politics980 Words   |  4 Pagesthinkers of political theory in western civilization. Therefore, it is important to understand the gist of his work Politics from our perspective. Influenced by Plato’s Republic and Laws, Politics presents synthesis of lifetime political thoughts and observations. The philosopher attempts to answer many questions such as; the relation between states and people, harnessing the best life style of citizens, best education, type of constituents, democracy, inequality and slavery. These are crucial topicsRead MoreSummary Of Juan Gin?ï ¿ ½s De Sepluvedas And Seplveda1111 Words   |  5 Pagesthat the Indians were â€Å"inferior beings† and he reinforced his idea by using Aristotle’s view on barbarians which was his theory of natural slavery . Las Casas countered Sepà ºlveda on every argument that he made against the Indians, even going as far as to rea nalyze Aristotle’s theory. Aristotle’s theory showed the differentiation between human groups who were civilized and those who were barbarians . Using Aristotle’s theory, Sepà ºlveda argued that the Indians â€Å"were irrational being whose inherently