BOOK III Chapter 9 Oligarchy vs Democracy

Chapter 9

I. Introduction: The Concepts of Justice in Oligarchy and Democracy

1. Divergent Views on Justice
   • Oligarchs and democrats both claim to uphold justice, but their conceptions differ.
   • Both forms of government grasp only partial truths about justice and do not fully address it in its most authoritative form.
   • Justice is commonly seen as equality but for different groups (equals in wealth for oligarchs, equals in freedom for democrats).
2. Partial Truths in Political Theories
   • Oligarchs: Justice as inequality for unequals (wealthy have more rights).
   • Democrats: Justice as equality for all (free citizens are equal).
   • However, both groups fail to consider a comprehensive view of justice because their judgments are self-interested.
   • People tend to be poor judges when their own interests are at stake, which leads to biased views of justice.
3. Judgment Flaws
   • Both groups consider only part of justice, thinking it applies universally to their group, while neglecting other perspectives.
   • Oligarchs focus on inequality due to wealth, democrats focus on equality due to freedom. Neither considers the full scope of justice.

II. The Role of the City in Living Well

1. Critique of Narrow Views of City’s Purpose
   • If the city's purpose were merely for living together and protecting property, then oligarchic arguments about proportional contribution would seem valid.
   • The example of someone contributing only one mina but expecting to share equally in a hundred minas.
2. Purpose of the City: More Than Survival
   • The city exists not just for survival (like a city of slaves or animals) but for living well.
   • Living well includes intentional choice and virtue, which distinguishes humans from animals and slaves.
   • The city is not merely for preventing injustice or facilitating exchange; these are secondary purposes.
3. Comparison with Other Alliances
   • Cities are not like treaties or alliances (e.g., Tyrrhenians and Carthaginians), where there are agreements to abstain from injustice but no shared offices or communal concerns about virtue or character.
   • True cities are concerned with the moral quality of their citizens and foster good governance.

III. The Central Role of Virtue in Political Communities

1. Political Virtue as the City's Core
   • Good governance involves a concern for political virtue, not merely self-preservation or preventing injustice.
   • The purpose of the city is the cultivation of virtue and the development of good citizens.
   • If cities only ensured the prevention of harm and allowed for exchanges, they would become mere alliances or associations, not true political communities.
2. Sophist Criticism
   • Aristotle critiques the sophist Lycophron, who viewed law merely as a guarantor of justice, rather than as something that shapes citizens’ moral character.
   • Law, in Aristotle's view, should not just ensure fair interactions but should also cultivate virtue in the citizens.

IV. The Definition of a True City

1. Proximity and Physical Unity Insufficient for a City
   • Simply bringing communities together in a single location does not make them a city.
   • Example: if Megara and Corinth were joined by walls, they would not automatically become one city.
   • Physical proximity alone (e.g., shared walls, marriage ties, or trade agreements) does not create a true political community.
2. Living Together for a Higher Purpose
   • The true city requires a shared pursuit of a good and self-sufficient life, which is achieved through a political community that fosters noble actions and virtue.
   • The city is not just an association for survival or mutual defense but a community aimed at living well.
   • Intermarriage, festivals, and shared pastimes contribute to this goal by fostering affection and mutual commitment to living well.

V. The City as a Community for Living Well

1. The City's True Purpose: Living Happily and Nobly
   • The ultimate goal of the city is a self-sufficient life that allows its citizens to live well and pursue happiness and nobility.
   • The political community exists for the sake of noble actions, not just for living together in a shared location.
   • True participation in the city means contributing to its virtue, not just residing or sharing material goods.
2. Who Deserves a Greater Share in the City?
   • Those who contribute most to the moral and political virtue of the community deserve a greater share in the city.
   • Greater political virtue should outweigh other factors like wealth or freedom when determining who has the most rights within the city.

VI. Conclusion: Justice in Different Regimes

1. Partial Views of Justice in Different Regimes
   • All regimes (oligarchic or democratic) focus on some part of justice, but they do not grasp the whole.
   • Justice, in its fullest sense, requires consideration of both equality and inequality, depending on the merits of individuals.
   • Political justice must be grounded in a concern for virtue and the common good, not merely material or personal interests.

This chapter in Aristotle's Politics emphasizes the importance of virtue as the foundation of a political community, critiques simplistic views of justice held by oligarchs and democrats, and defines the city as a place where citizens live not just for survival but for noble and virtuous actions.