Quotes from book
Politics

Aristotle

Politics is a work of political philosophy by Aristotle, a 4th-century BC Greek philosopher.

Aristotle photo

“Practical life is not necessarily directed toward other people, as some think; and it is not the case that practical thoughts are only those which result from action for the sake of what ensues. On the contrary, much more practical are those mental activities and reflections which have their goal in themselves and take place for their own sake.”

Aristotle book Politics

VII, 3, 8, 1325b16–20
Politics

Aristotle photo

“Further, the state is by nature clearly prior to the family and to the individual, since the whole is of necessity prior to the part; for example, if the whole body be destroyed, there will be no foot or hand, except in an equivocal sense, as we might speak of a stone hand; for when destroyed the hand will be no better than that. But things are defined by their working and power; and we ought not to say that they are the same when they no longer have their proper quality, but only that they have the same name.”

Aristotle book Politics

Book I, Part II
Politics

Aristotle photo

“Man is by nature a political animal.”

Aristotle book Politics

Book I, 1253a.2
Politics

Aristotle photo

“That judges of important causes should hold office for life is a disputable thing, for the mind grows old as well as the body.”

Aristotle book Politics

Book II, 1270b.39
Politics

Aristotle photo

“It is also in the interests of a tyrant to make his subjects poor, so that he may be able to afford the cost of his bodyguard, while the people are so occupied with their daily tasks that they have no time for plotting.”

Aristotle book Politics

Book V, 1313b.16
Politics

Aristotle photo

“It is not easy to determine the nature of music, or why any one should have a knowledge of it.”

Aristotle book Politics

Book VIII, 5, 1339a
Politics

Aristotle photo

“The basis of a democratic state is liberty.”

Aristotle book Politics

Book VI, 1317a.40
Politics

Aristotle photo

“The proof that the state is a creation of nature and prior to the individual is that the individual, when isolated, is not self-sufficing; and therefore he is like a part in relation to the whole.”

Aristotle book Politics

Book I, Part II
Politics

Aristotle photo

“Happiness, whether consisting in pleasure or virtue, or both, is more often found with those who are highly cultivated in their minds and in their character, and have only a moderate share of external goods, than among those who possess external goods to a useless extent but are deficient in higher qualities.”

Aristotle book Politics

Book VII, 1323b.1
Politics

Aristotle photo

“The law is reason unaffected by desire.”

Aristotle book Politics

Book III, 1287a.32
Politics
Variant: The Law is reason free from passion.

Aristotle photo

“Both oligarch and tyrant mistrust the people, and therefore deprive them of their arms.”

Aristotle book Politics

Book V, 1311a.11
Politics

Aristotle photo

“The good citizen need not of necessity possess the virtue which makes a good man.”

Aristotle book Politics

Book III, 1276b.34
Politics

Aristotle photo

“But for those that are equal to have an unequal share and those that are alike an unlike share is contrary to nature, and nothing contrary to nature is noble.”

Aristotle book Politics

Book VII 3.5, 1325b
Politics

Aristotle photo

“Even trifles are most important when they concern the rulers, as was the case of old at Syracuse; for the Syracusan constitution was once changed by a love-quarrel of two young men, who were in the government. The story is that while one of them was away from home his beloved was gained over by his companion, and he to revenge himself seduced the other's wife. They then drew the members of the ruling class into their quarrel and so split all the people into portions. We learn from this story that we should be on our guard against the beginnings of such evils, and should put an end to the quarrels of chiefs and mighty men. The mistake lies in the beginning — as the proverb says — 'Well begun is half done'; so an error at the beginning, though quite small, bears the same ratio to the errors in the other parts.”

Aristotle book Politics

Book V, 1303b.19-30
Politics

Aristotle photo

“Wherefore of all modes of getting wealth this is the most unnatural.”

Aristotle book Politics

Book I, 1258b.4
Politics
Context: Money was intended to be used in exchange, but not to increase at interest. And this term interest, which means the birth of money from money, is applied to the breeding of money because the offspring resembles the parent. Wherefore of all modes of getting wealth this is the most unnatural.

Aristotle photo

“Men … are easily induced to believe that in some wonderful manner everybody will become everybody's friend, especially when some one is heard denouncing the evils now existing in states, suits about contracts, convictions for perjury, flatteries of rich men and the like, which are said to arise out of the possession of private property. These evils, however, are due to a very different cause — the wickedness of human nature.”

Aristotle book Politics

Book II, 1263b.15
Politics

Aristotle photo

“Political society exists for the sake of noble actions, and not of mere companionship.”

Aristotle book Politics

Book III, 1280b.30–1281a.3
Politics
Context: A state is not a mere society, having a common place, established for the prevention of mutual crime and for the sake of exchange.... Political society exists for the sake of noble actions, and not of mere companionship.

Aristotle photo

“A tyrant must put on the appearance of uncommon devotion to religion. Subjects are less apprehensive of illegal treatment from a ruler whom they consider god-fearing and pious. On the other hand, they do less easily move against him, believing that he has the gods on his side.”

Aristotle book Politics

Book V,1314b.39
Politics

Aristotle photo

“Let us then enunciate the functions of a state and we shall easily elicit what we want: First there must be food; secondly, arts, for life requires many instruments; thirdly, there must be arms, for the members of a community have need of them, and in their own hands, too, in order to maintain authority both against disobedient subjects and against external assailants….”

Aristotle book Politics

Book VII, 1328b.4
Politics

Aristotle photo

“If liberty and equality, as is thought by some, are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in the government to the utmost.”

Aristotle book Politics

Book IV, 1291b.34
Politics