A Treatise on Government by Aristotle (REVIEW)
A Critic's Meta Review: 5/5
A Treatise on Government by Aristotle (REVIEW)
A Critic's Meta Review: 5/5
Review
A Treatise on Government is a fundamental philosophical text that will serve anyone interested in the history of political discussion and the merits of different forms of government. Being familiar with the work would prove very useful in a variety of political debates about the formation of our modern political systems as it provides context for many aspects of government.
Outside of the political realm, Aristotle's ethics have gained renewed interest as a result of the modern advent of virtue ethics. However, all aspects of Aristotle's philosophy continue to be the object of active academic study today.
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Overview
Aristotle is recognized as one of the most influential founding figures in Western philosophy. He is known to be the first to create a comprehensive system of philosophy, which encompasses morality and aesthetics, logic and science, as well as politics and metaphysics. Aristotle's insight on physical sciences profoundly shaped medieval scholarship. While his influence extended well into the Renaissance, it was ultimately replaced by the modern physics we recognize today. In the biological sciences, some of his observations were only confirmed to be accurate by the nineteenth century. His works contain the earliest known formal study of logic which is still used in modern logical thinking. In metaphysics, Aristotle has had a profound influence on philosophical and theological thinking and continues to influence Christian theology today.
Text
Aristotle’s work in A Treatise on Government presents a divergence from Plato and stands to establish a new set of theories exploring human interaction. Aristotle offers a perspective that differs from social contract theory on why cities and their respective political entities are formed.
A Treatise on Government is recognized as one of the most influential texts on the history of political thought. By examining how societies are run from the simple household to large city-states, the reader is able to gain insight into how different groups can be organized and governed. Aristotle discusses the idea establishing a constitution as well as the act of upholding it. Many of the ideas set forth by Aristotle still inspire many of our actions in our modern quest for a stable governing system.
Originally published in 1776, William Ellis's translation of Aristotle's A Treatise on Government was the first English version to be translated directly from the Greek.
