The Cambridge Companion to Aristotle's Politics

One of the most influential works in the history of political theory Aristotle''s Politics is a treatise in practical philosophy intended to inform legislators and to create the conditions for virtuous and self-sufficient lives for the citizens of a state. In this Companion distinguished scholars offer new perspectives on the work and its themes. After an opening exploration of the relation between Aristotle''s ethics and his politics the central chapters follow the sequence of the eight books of the Politics taking up questions such as the role of reason in legitimizing rule the common good justice slavery private property citizenship democracy and deliberation unity conflict law and authority and education. The closing chapters discuss the interaction between Aristotle''s political thought and contemporary democratic theory. The volume will provide a valuable resource for those studying ancient philosophy classics and the history of political thought.