Week 3: Political Thinkers - Aristotle's Concept of Politics

What is Politics?

• Human beings are political by nature because they help each other to meet basic needs.
• The concept of the polis, where people participate in administration and governing, is essential to understanding politics.

Aristotle's View

• Aristotle believed that humans have the opportunity to develop their potentialities in the state.
• People who live outside the city-state do not have this opportunity.
• Only those who participate in the administration and governing of the polis are regarded as citizens.
• Workers, slaves, and women do not have the right to participate in the political process.

The Concept of Constitution

• A constitution is the essence of the state.
• It exists to limit the power of the government, which is the core idea of constitutionalism.

The Best State

• The best state should be composed of a community of equals.
• Revolution will occur if there is prevailing injustice in society.

Human Nature

• Nicolo Machiavelli believed that human beings are selfish or self-interested by nature.
• The only way to survive is by being selfish.

Nicolo Machiavelli's View

• Machiavelli dedicated "The Prince" to Lorenzo de Medici.
• He believed that politicians can use any methods to achieve their objectives, which is the basis of "political realism".
• Machiavelli's principle of "end justifies the means" separates politics from ethics and morality.
• He advocated for keeping religion and ethics away from politics.

Social Contract

• The social contract is an agreement where government is established by the consent of the people.
• The responsibility of the rulers is to protect "life, liberty, and property" of the people.
• Failure to do so will result in people revolting against the ruler.
• The contract is not absolute, but conditional.

John Locke's Theory

• Locke believed in the theory of popular sovereignty, where supreme power lies in the hands of the people.
• The legislature should have supreme authority, and the executive authority is subject to the legislature.
• The people have the power to alter or remove the legislature if it fails to function.

Economic Motives

• John Locke believed that man's actions at all times are dominated by economic motives.
• Liberalism depicts society in a way that prevents people from understanding the alienation and exploitation by capitalism.

Karl Marx's View

• Marx believed that the development of human society is driven by the interplay of economic forces.
• Class conflicts lead to the working class overthrowing the capitalist, and creating a new society with no distinction between poor and rich.
• The state and its agencies will wither away, which is known as Dialectical Materialism.
• Communism is not the same as Marxism.