Aristotle Quotes & Commentary

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Introduction

I do not claim to be an expert of Aristotle and his philosophy or writings. Please pardon if I do Aristotle injustice here. Any comments or thoughts are welcome!  :-)

Even so this man is long dead, I believe his influence on our time is manifold and pervasive. This is a work in progress.

Aristotle lived between 384-322 BC

Sources: S1,

Quotes & Comments

Emphasis added:

1. Both oligarch and tyrant mistrust the people, and therefore deprive them of their arms. (Politics, Book V; S1)
   [One reason why the right to bear arms in the U.S. Constitution and various state constitutions is so important and was established by the founders for this reason.]
2. 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....
   (Politics, Book VII; S1)
   [The 2nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution defended. To prevent enslavement domestic or external!]
3. The law is reason unaffected by desire.
   (Politics, Book III, S1)
   [This is one example where Aristotle was dead wrong even if he formulated this only as an aspirational ideal. In a real democracy laws are made by politicians with plenty of conflicting desires. Thus, the rule of law is seriously flawed the more laws are passed and the more they deviate from e.g. the enduring essence of the Ten Commandments (homicide, theft, dishonesty, envy).]
4. 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.
   (Politics, Book V; S1)
   [This is a great argument for requesting term limits for everyone in public service whether as legislators, executives, judges, police officers, or administration employees. Any serious future reform of democracy ought to implement strict term limits for anyone involved in government. Most democracies in history have decayed over time, because e.g. career politicians or administrators etc. take over.]