Argues that nature, justice, and rights are central to Aristotle's political thought. Challenges the widely held view that the concept of rights is alien to Aristotle, arguing that his theory of justice supports claims of individual rights, which are political and based in nature. Begins with an examination of three main elements in Aristotle's political theory: nature, justice, and rights. The discussion of Aristotle's political naturalism seeks to show how Aristotle can consistently argue that the polis (city‐state) exists by nature and yet is, in a way, the product of human reason. The discussion of justice focuses on the distinction between universal and particular justice and the political applications of each type of justice. The discussion of rights offers evidence of ‘rights’ locutions in Aristotle and contrasts Aristotle's theory of rights with modern theories of natural rights. The book next investigates the constitutional applications of Aristotle's theory, including a discussion of Aristotle's general account of citizenship and constitutions, followed by a study of the best constitution, the second‐best constitution, and deviant constitutions. The main thesis is that Aristotle's theory of political rights is a form of moderate individualism and thus a noteworthy alternative to the extreme‐individualistic theories of rights advanced by many modern philosophers. There is also a separate discussion of Aristotle's views on property rights. The final chapter considers the prospects for neo‐Aristotelian political theory through an examination of Aristotle's main presuppositions––natural teleology, perfectionism, community, and rulership––concluding that Aristotle's political principles may still be defensible, albeit in a circumscribed and qualified manner.
Aristotle's constitutional theory applies his theory of justice and rights to the unifying institutions of the polis (city‐state). He defines a citizen as one who has a liberty right to partake in deliberative or judicial office. He distinguishes between constitutions in terms of whether they are correct (just) or deviant (unjust) and on the basis of whether political rights are assigned to one, few, or many persons––resulting in a six‐fold classification of constitutions: kingship versus tyranny, aristocracy versus oligarchy, and polity versus democracy. In Politics IV, Aristotle develops a more complicated system of classification involving different modes of deliberation, adjudication, and magistracy. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the tasks of politics, including legislation in ideal and realistic situations and reform of defective constitutions.
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