РефератыИностранный языкThThe Political Animal Essay Research Paper Much

The Political Animal Essay Research Paper Much

The Political Animal Essay, Research Paper


Much time has been devoted to the study of how and why


governments exist. This effort is required to understand


America’s political and philosophical roots. The ancient


Greek philosopher Aristotle pursued and ultimately


answered this question in his work, The Politics. Though


written thousands of years ago, the lessons taught about the


natural state of politics reveal the immensely complex


system of an organized civil government in modern United


States. Perhaps one of the most profound thoughts


revealed in The Politics concerns the origin and nature of


basic government, the cities. "Hence it is evident that a city


is a natural production, and that man is naturally a political


animal" (Aristotle 1253a). Aristotle’s line from The Politics


exemplifies two distinct but related points. The first part


states that the formation of cities is natural and the second


deals with the idea that man is by his own nature, a political


being.


At the beginning of The Politics, Aristotle says, "every city


must be allowed to be the work of nature, if we admit that


the original society between male and female is; for to this


as their end all subordinate societies tend, and the end of


everything is the nature of it"(1253b). Each city begins as a


collection of partnerships. These associations are the


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bonds that men create between each other as a result of


their natural tendency to be social and interact, "there is


then in all persons a natural impetus to associate with each


other" (1253a). Partnerships are natural because man is not


inclined to be self-sufficient on his own merits. A man


cannot exist merely for his own sake and expect to be a


functioning member of the city but must be supplemented


through the thoughts and ideas of other men. A man must


experience interaction with others to more fully complete


his existence. This supplementation is the essence of


partnerships because dealing with other men increases each


man’s own wholeness. Furthermore, by listening to the


thoughts and ideas of other men, he is furthering his own


proclivity, enabling him to be active in the city and


therefore, becoming a human being. It is only through the


city, however, that man can truly be complete because it


reaches a level of full self-sufficiency. The collection of


partnerships that comprise the city makes men into


complete human beings and assists them on their way to


happiness, "the end and perfection of government: first


founded that we might live, but continued that we may live


happily"(1252b). This is a level of excellence for man


because it means that he will not only survive but will thrive


after becoming fully human and therefore happy. Aristotle


asserts that the city, because it is made up of different


partnerships which are natural, becomes self-sustaining


without outside help. In Aristotle’s opinion, cities are not


created, they already exist; it is just a matter of forming the


partnerships to find it and its rewards.


Since the natural purpose of man is to be as


comprehensively human as possible, and the natural


purpose of the city is to make men human, Aristotle says


that this process


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of making the city is natural. The difficulty of this process is


the nature in which the city goes about developing the


human. It is difficult because it relies on the relationships


men have with each other. They must come together and


complete each other to fulfill their purpose just as individual


pieces join together to complete a puzzle. In Aristotle’s


world, the importance of the individuality of men is not


initially significant because everyone lives to be part of the


city. In other words, because the city makes human beings,


man must exert all of his efforts to participate and interact in


the city. It is only after being part of the city that man,


becoming a complete human, will be able to reap the


rewards of total excellence in life and happiness. Another


reason that the city is natural is that "the notion of a city


naturally precedes that of family or an individual" (1253a).


The cit

y is above the individual or family in importance


because only the city can make men into complete human


beings. The individual and the family do not provide man


with the wide range of experience that he can acquire


through being part of the city. This is because reason and


thought are exercised more often in the city. Man must use


his reason more frequently in the city to be able to contend


with the other men so as to fully participate. Reason cannot


develop and flourish in the family because man is the


master. Contrarily, in the city, man rules and is ruled in turn.


Aristotle says that man is ruled and ruler alternately


because in the city, unlike the household, every man is


usually equally capable of taking a leadership position. In


the household, the man alone rules, thus he has no


competition or adversary to contend with and does not


need to exercise his reasoning as readily as in the city.


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The city is also natural because "nature does nothing in


vain" (1253a), everything created naturally serves a specific


purpose. In this sense, the United States is a natural


production. Even if the individuals, the men, seem to live


simply to complete their lives and achieve happiness, they


can only do so by contributing to the city’s perpetuation,


which will develop their humanity. Thus, since the city exists


for men to become human, that is its specific purpose. It is


considered natural.


Man is said to be a "political animal" naturally because of


his innate inclination to take part in the affairs of the city and


become a human being. Because the word political in this


case refers to all things public, being a political animal


means that man is innately drawn to dealing with other men


when it comes to the city and what should be done within


it. Nature, because it does nothing in vain, naturally equips


man with a distinct quality that animals lack, the ability to


speak, "The gift of speech also evidently proves that man is


a more social animal than the bees, or any of the herding


cattle: for nature, as we say, does nothing in vain, and man


is the only animal who enjoys it"(1253a). That is to say, the


ability to speak serves to enhance the process of becoming


human. Man can share ideas, thoughts, and feelings in


reference to what is good or bad, right or wrong. By


talking about what is held to be just or unjust, man defines


the limits and tolerances of the city and establishes rule.


This discussion enables men to reach consensus on these


issues "and it is a participation of these common sentiments


which forms a family and a city"(1253a). By listening to and


discussing the thoughts of others, and coming to agreement,


men form the essence of the city, partnerships. Speech,


while distinguishing


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man from animals and thereby confirming his rule over


them, furnishes men with the capability to make prudent


decisions for themselves and those they rule. Without


communication, the city would not function, resulting in


chaos. "So without law and justice he would be the worst


of all"(1253a). Aristotle is maintaining that nature’s gift of


speech to men prevents them from wreaking disaster upon


themselves and the natural world.


Despite its age, the insight The Politics commands


regarding the logic of the formation of cities is certainly


relevant in today’s complicated political world. I, myself is a


political animal seeking happiness, by interacting with other


people day to day living in the United States hoping to find


assistance in achieving the completeness of me as an


individual. Aristotle assessed what he deemed to be the


true purpose of human beings, achieving a level of utter


happiness. Although seemingly contradictory to the modern


perception of politics, Aristotle looks upon the nature of the


affairs of the public as a means to an end. This end


concentrates on the outcome of each man as opposed to


the recent viewpoint that politics is a struggle for the benefit


of institutions, ideas, and organizations. Perhaps if modern


governments adopted Aristotle’s school of thought, the


world would be a more serene place to live.

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