Aristotle s Views On Slavery - 1971 Words

Slavery has been practiced since the beginnings of civilization, and most likely even before that. It has been a factor in the economy of many societies and states up to our present times. Throughout history, there have been people who attempted to justify slavery. While many of them did so purely out of self-interest, in order to continue a barbaric trade, some historical philosophers, such as Aristotle, sought to justify slavery from the best intentions. In his book, Politics, Aristotle describes slavery as essential to a household and defends it as natural, and therefore, moral. To understand this, one must remember that Aristotle lived at a time when nearly every culture practiced some form of slavery. One must also take into consideration that the economies of Greek city-states relied on the institution of slavery. In Aristotle s Greece the owning of slaves was not only an economic but also a cultural practice. By and large, Aristotle s pupils came from the upper strata of society, from prosperous oligarchs and kings. Ownership of slaves was indicative of social status; it showed that one was rich enough to afford to keep them. It would have been unthinkable for them not to own slaves. In Politics, Aristotle justifies the institution of slavery on the following grounds: 1. Slavery is a natural phenomenon. Aristotle starts out with a categorical statement asserting that slavery is a natural thing, supposedly supported by reason and fact: â€Å"There is no difficulty inShow MoreRelatedPlato And Aristotle s Views On Human Life1457 Words   |  6 PagesHow do we explain the world around us? How can we get to the truth? Plato and Aristotle are two of the most influential and well-known figures in the history of philosophy that searched for answers to many questions; questions such us, what does it mean to be human, where does slavery stand and what is freedom? According to Plato, humans are rational, social animals, we become who we are in society and in order to become what we truly are, we must live in the ideal society. He tended to identifyRead MoreEvolution of Slavery in Justice Essay1183 Words   |  5 PagesSlavery is immoral. Why? Because we hold this truth to be self-evident: that all men are created equal? Because life, liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness are unalienable rights endowed by our Creator? (â€Å"Declaration of Independence.† 1776.) Well, not all men are created equal. At least according to our Founding Fathers, African tribes, 18th century Europeans, the ancient Romans and Greeks, and †¦ the Bible. As a matter of fact, slavery has not been immoral from humanity’s (also to be interpretedRead MoreRacism - A History : The Color Of Money1063 Words   |  5 Pagesracism. The six short episodes explore and chronicle centuries of European attitudes and practices regarding race and the transatlantic slave trade of Africans. It underscores how economics served as the driving force behind slavery. The documentary highlights that although slavery existed for several centuries prior to the slave trade, the concept of racism is rooted in the enslavement and exploitation of Africans for labor and capital gain. The documentary describes how the British’s development ofRead MoreAristotle s Views On Politics1031 Words   |  5 Pageswhere Aristotle’s is coming from. Aristotle looked for solutions in a Universal manner. Basically, the principles and solutions for correctness comes from the idea that they have to be natural more than conventional. The idea of the good from Aristotle’s point of view comes from observation, he believed that the good is the final cause(there are three others that will be discussed), and that everyone can understand judgement and collective moral action. Aristotle also believed that people need toRead MorePlato Vs Aristotle On Politics And Philosophy1899 Words   |  8 PagesPlato versus Aristotle Plato and Aristotle, two philosophers in the 4th century, hold polar views on politics and philosophy i n general. This fact is very cleverly illustrated by Raphael s School of Athens (1510-11; Stanza della Segnatura, Vatican), where Plato is portrayed looking up to the higher forms; and Aristotle is pointing down because he supports the natural sciences. In a discussion of politics, the stand point of each philosopher becomes an essential factor. It is not coincidental thatRead MoreThe Theory Of Equality And The State1398 Words   |  6 Pageslive a decent life, and economic equality refers to even living fairness when compared to money and items of value. Different philosophers choose to individually focus on various, smaller features of equality when attempting to define the whole. Aristotle, the Greek philosopher and former student of Plato’s Academy, was one of the first to explore equality at a more in-depth and comprehensive level, focusing on the political aspect of the word. He is quoted as noting that equality best serves whenRead More Feminism in Medea by Euripides Essay1000 Words   |  4 PagesFeminism in Medea by Euripides The play Medea by Euripides challenges the dominant views of femininity in the patriarchal society of the Greeks. While pursuing her ambition Medea disregards many of the feminine stereotypes/ characteristics of the patriarchal Greek society. She questions the inequality of women in a patriarchal society, contradicts Jason?s chauvinist beliefs, challenges the stereotype that women are weak and passive and completely disregards the feminine role of motherhoodRead MoreHow Does Work And Leisure Essay925 Words   |  4 PagesAristotle’s view, that humans can shape their own habits, to create virtues, gives us a clear understanding of what is required to arrive at our desired destination. Virtues, particularly temperance, combined with hard work, innovation, and determination should shape how we think about work and leisure, in our pursuit of the â€Å"good life.† Exposition: Before diving into my argument, I’d like to clarify exactly what it means to have Aristotelian virtues. In the ancient Greek text, Aristotle uses theRead MoreAnalysis Of David Hume s Theory Of Justice2868 Words   |  12 Pagesdesires. A grand idea but is it so simple? If Man creates society to protect this arbitrary concept, does society have the right to take this right away? John Rawls felt that society was responsible for deciding who properly owns property, whether it s individually or communally owned. In his influential work, A Theory of Justice, Rawls conception of society is defined by justice as fairness. Essentially saying that social institutions must be open and fair to all, and while wealth and power mayRead MoreAppraisal for Democracy by Plato, Aristotle and Thucydides1743 Words   |  7 Pagesancient Greeks on the practice and theory of democracy as a system of government. Appraisal for Democracy by Plato, Aristotle and Thucydides Plato is one dominant figure in the history of democracy. It is important to note, however, that he is in fact pivotal for the crucial questions he asked about democracy. His character is so strong such that even after veering off the public’ s favor he continues to stress on the cracks of democracy. Although unpleasing to consider his reasonable points, on weakness