Most-read this week: Aristotle
The most popular paper on greycat.org at the moment, according to the site statistics, is ‘Aristotle and citizenship’; I suspect lots of students are starting the new term with papers on Aristotle and political thought, which is certainly a good way to begin.
The political responsibilities of citizenship could hardly be greater, but for Aristotle they are entirely in accordance with nature. Citizenship is nothing less than the fullest fulfillment of human potential in terms of the ‘good life’. In this respect, as throughout Aristotle’s politics, the essence of citizenship lies in active participation. The citizen is not merely an inhabitant of the state, nor simply a member of a politically privileged class; he is the essence of the state’s ability to achieve the greatest measure of happiness and virtue as a community. For this, the citizen must have the leisure to devote himself to the educative cultural pursuits which facilitate his understanding of virtue.
The whole paper can be found here: ‘Aristotle and citizenship: the responsibilities of citizenship in the Politics‘.
Picture: Plato and Aristotle, representing ‘Philosophy’, marble panel (1437) by Luca della Robbia, from the exterior of the campanile of Florence cathedral. [Source]
