Ray Wu's Blog

A good citizen follows the constitution; a good person has high moral value

citizens who are property owning (common definition of citizenship in the Western world) -> only people who have property can vote

Owning property becomes one of Aristotle’s conditions for participating in politics

Mentions and assesses hundreds of constitutions across the Greek world

Stability is the good that should shape the decisions of the sovereign.

System that he eventually builds relies on a few assumptions: you can participate in politics if your women and slaves can take care of the other things.

For Plato, education is important because it helps you reach the abstract form of good.
For Aristotle, education leads to excellence. Excellence gives you self-respect, and others respect the skills you bring to society. (similar to today’s idea of college)

Aristocratcs: the most virtuous people in society, moderation, courageous, wisdom to make good decisions

^Moderation: ensure that the stupid people of society don’t influence the politics

Property allows specific virtues to be recognized. A way to defend self-interest

Plato’s stance against excess, and belief in moderation as arete (virtue) is interesting.

Because in the class & virtue system of his Kallipolis

All the virtues of the other social classes aside from the producers point towards the end of the spectrum. Like the example given in class, the virtue of a car engine is to go fast, a seat is to carry, a chasis to bind. Yet, moderation is something that requires conscious thought. If the same logic carries, wouldn’t productivity or excess be more fitting? That’s more akin to how modern society think producers should do anyways. I don’t think any individuals would prefer to produce less when more is possible. Even if not for a capitalistic pursue of profit, there are always people who are in need of extra product.

But maybe Plato does have a point in that moderation alleviates the need for guardians to supervise the distribution of the resources.

Casual Sequence from Uzbekistan

If moral virtue is habituation, doesn’t that still mean it’s learned?

Aristotle sought to succeed Plato as the head of the Academy. Doesn’t get it. Travels to Asia Minor and becomes the tutor of Alexander (the Great).
Starts a rival school, Lyceum

Aristotle: The world around us can have things that are innately good (the innate good of a knife is cutting well)
Eudaimonia

Golden mean for everything around us? What if the world in itself is skewed? What if the people around one are skewed? Certainly not a universal approach to living a good life. Stemming from his own bubble of philosophers

Substitution of activity does not work for a good life. Actual action is needed. < pretty self explanatory

Self-deceptive activity & concept of multiple selves: choose one end, but actively betray that end at times; if you stick to a virtuous routine, but go on a bender every Friday, does that invalidate the virtue of routine?

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