The Political Animal :: essays research papers

Much time has been devoted to the study of how and whygovern workforcets be. This effort is required to understandAmericas political and philosophical roots. The ancient classical philosopher Aristotle pursued and ultimatelyanswered this question in his work, The Politics. Thoughwritten thousands of age ago, the lessons taught about thenatural state of politics reveal the immensely daedalsystem of an organized civil brass in modern unitedStates. Perhaps one of the most profound thoughtsrevealed in The Politics concerns the ancestry and nature ofbasic government, the cities. "Hence it is evident that a cityis a natural production, and that man is naturally a politicalanimal" (Aristotle 1253a). Aristotles moving in from The Politicsexemplifies two distinct but related points. The first let outstates that the formation of cities is natural and the seconddeals with the idea that man is by his stimulate nature, a politicalbeing. At the beginning of The Politics, Aristotl e says, "every city essential be allowed to be the work of nature, if we admit thatthe original society between male and female is for to thisas their conclusion all subordinate societies tend, and the end ofeverything is the nature of it"(1253b). Each city begins as acollection of partnerships. These associations be the Sugawara 2bonds that men create between distributively other as a result oftheir natural tendency to be social and interact, "thither isthen in all persons a natural impetus to retainer with eachother" (1253a). Partnerships are natural because man is not fain to be self-sufficient on his own merits. A mancannot exist merely for his own sake and expect to be a work member of the city but must be supplementedthrough the thoughts and ideas of other men. A man mustexperience interaction with others to more full make outhis existence. This supplementation is the essence ofpartnerships because dealing with other men increases eachmans own wholeness. Furthermore, by listening to thethoughts and ideas of other men, he is furthering his ownproclivity, alter him to be active in the city andtherefore, becoming a adult male being. It is only through thecity, however, that man can truly be complete because itreaches a level of full self-sufficiency. The collection ofpartnerships that comprise the city makes men intocomplete human beings and assists them on their way tohappiness, "the end and perfection of government firstfounded that we might live, but continued that we may live blithely"(1252b). This is a level of excellence for manbecause it means that he go out not only survive but will thriveafter becoming fully human and therefore happy.