BOOK III Chapter 12 The Best Claim to Rule

Chapter 12

I. Introduction: The End Goal of Political Science

1. The Highest Good in Politics
   • In every science and art, the goal is some good, and the highest good belongs to the most authoritative art, which is political science.
   • The political good is justice, which Aristotle defines as the common advantage or what benefits the community as a whole.
   • Justice is commonly understood as a form of equality, and people generally agree that justice is about equality among equals, as discussed in philosophical ethics.

II. The Nature of Equality in Political Justice

1. The Debate on Equality and Inequality
   • Aristotle raises the question: Equality in what things?
   • While all agree that justice involves equality, what kind of equality is at issue?
   • Some may argue that offices or honors should be distributed based on preeminence in any good, even if the individuals being compared are otherwise similar.
2. Justice and Merit
   • The argument for distributing offices based on merit assumes that differences in merit should lead to unequal distributions of political power.
   • If this is the case, then any kind of preeminence (e.g., height, beauty, or wealth) could become a basis for political power, leading to an aggrandizement of claims to justice by those preeminent in superficial qualities.

III. The Flawed Logic of Preeminence in Superficial Qualities

1. Rejecting Superficial Criteria for Justice
   • Aristotle refutes the idea that preeminence in superficial qualities like complexion, height, or beauty should lead to greater political power.
   • He uses the example of flute players: if two individuals are equally skilled, the better flutes should not go to the one who is better born or better looking, but to the one who is better at playing the flute.
   • Therefore, preeminence in superficial qualities does not contribute to the work of politics or ruling a city.
2. Preeminence in Virtue vs. Superficial Qualities
   • Aristotle extends the analogy: even if someone were preeminent in a superficial quality (like height or beauty) and deficient in virtue (moral excellence), it would still be wrong to assign political power based on those superficial qualities.
   • Political power should be granted based on preeminence in virtue, as wealth, beauty, and birth do not contribute to the work of governance or ruling.

IV. The Impossibility of Commensurability Among Goods

1. Non-Commensurability of Goods
   • Aristotle argues that different goods (e.g., wealth, height, freedom, virtue) are not commensurable; they cannot be measured against each other in a meaningful way.
   • For example, height cannot be compared to virtue in a way that justifies greater political power for someone who is taller but less virtuous.
   • If one could compare these different goods, it would lead to the absurd result that all goods are somehow exchangeable with each other.

V. Political Offices and Disputes Over Inequality

1. Justice in Political Matters
   • Since not all inequalities are relevant in political matters, Aristotle argues that offices should not be distributed based on qualities like speed or strength, as these are only relevant in gymnastic contests.
   • The dispute in political justice occurs over qualities that are relevant to the functioning of a city, such as wealth, birth, and freedom.
   • These qualities are seen as legitimate claims to political power because a city needs free persons and those who can pay an assessment (i.e., the wealthy).

VI. The Importance of Virtue in Political Justice

1. The Role of Virtue in the City
   • While wealth, freedom, and birth are necessary for the existence of a city, virtue (especially justice and military virtue) is necessary for the good administration of a city.
   • A city cannot be well-governed without the virtue of its citizens, even though it can exist without universal wealth or nobility.
   • Therefore, virtue is just as essential to the functioning of the city as wealth or freedom.

VII. Conclusion: The Balance of Necessary Qualities

1. The Balance of Qualities for a Well-Governed City
   • Aristotle concludes that for a city to be finely administered, it requires a balance of both virtue and the practical elements of wealth, freedom, and birth.
   • Without virtue, the city cannot be well-run, but without wealth and free citizens, it cannot exist. Both are essential but contribute in different ways to the city’s functioning and justice.

In this chapter of Politics, Aristotle explores the nature of political justice and the role of equality and merit in distributing political power. He critiques the idea of using superficial qualities (such as height, beauty, or wealth) as a basis for political office, arguing that only virtue should be the relevant criterion. Aristotle also emphasizes the non-commensurability of goods and argues that both virtue and practical elements like wealth and freedom are necessary for the good administration of a city.