40 Powerful Aristotle Quotes On Politics
Last Updated on January 30, 2023
Are you interested in politics and philosophy? Well, today I’d like to share with you some of the best Aristotle quotes on politics.
Aristotle was one of the smartest people who ever lived, and his ideas about politics and government are still relevant today.
He thought that people should be free to make their own decisions and that the government should only step in to protect the rights and well-being of its citizens. Aristotle’s political quotes show how well he understood people and society.
Read these wise quotes about politics by Aristotle and send them to someone you know who loves quotes.
Aristotle’s Quotes On Politics
1. “Man is by nature a political animal.” – Aristotle, On Politics
2. “A state is not a mere society, having a common place, established for the prevention of mutual crime and for the sake of exchange…. Political society exists for the sake of noble actions, and not of mere companionship.” – Aristotle, On Politics
3. “Democracy arose from men’s thinking that if they are equal in any respect they are equal absolutely [in all respects].”” – Aristotle, On Politics
4. “Even trifles are most important when they concern the rulers, as was the case of old at Syracuse; for the Syracusan constitution was once changed by a love-quarrel of two young men, who were in the government. The story is that while one of them was away from home his beloved was gained over by his companion, and he to revenge himself seduced the other’s wife. They then drew the members of the ruling class into their quarrel and so split all the people into portions. We learn from this story that we should be on our guard against the beginnings of such evils, and should put an end to the quarrels of chiefs and mighty men. The mistake lies in the beginning — as the proverb says — ‘Well begun is half done’; so an error at the beginning, though quite small, bears the same ratio to the errors in the other parts.” – Aristotle, On Politics
5. “Subjects are also kept poor by payment of taxes.” – Aristotle, On Politics
6. “A tyrant must put on the appearance of uncommon devotion to religion. Subjects are less apprehensive of illegal treatment from a ruler whom they consider god-fearing and pious. On the other hand, they do less easily move against him, believing that he has the gods on his side.” – Aristotle, On Politics
7. “Happiness, whether consisting in pleasure or virtue, or both, is more often found with those who are highly cultivated in their minds and in their character, and have only a moderate share of external goods, than among those who possess external goods to a useless extent but are deficient in higher qualities.” – Aristotle, On Politics
8. “Practical life is not necessarily directed toward other people, as some think; and it is not the case that practical thoughts are only those which result from action for the sake of what ensues. On the contrary, much more practical are those mental activities and reflections which have their goal in themselves and take place for their own sake.” – Aristotle, On Politics
9. “It is not possible to rule well without having been ruled.” – Aristotle, On Politics
10. “The regime is an arrangement of a city with respect to its offices, particularly the one that has authority over all matters.” – Aristotle, On Politics
11. “The happy life is one in accordance with virtue and unimpeded.” – Aristotle, On Politics
12. “Let us presuppose this much, that the best way of life both separately for each individual and in common for cities is that accompanied by virtue—virtue that is equipped to such an extent as to allow them to take part in actions that accord with virtue.” – Aristotle, On Politics
13. “Justice therefore demands that no one should do more ruling than being ruled, but that all should have their turn.” – Aristotle, On Politics
14. “It is evident, then, that it is better for property to be private, but to make it common in use.” – Aristotle, On Politics
15. “The political good is justice, and this is the common advantage.” – Aristotle, On Politics
16. “One ought not even consider that a particular citizen belongs to himself, but rather that all belong to the city; for each is part of the city.” – Aristotle, On Politics
17. “It is impossible for the whole to be happy unless all, or most or some, of its parts possess happiness.” – Aristotle, On Politics
18. “The basic premise of the democratic sort of regime is freedom.” – Aristotle, On Politics
19. “But obviously a state which becomes progressively more and more of a unity will cease to be a state at all. Plurality of numbers is natural in a state; and the farther it moves away from plurality towards unity, the less of a state it becomes and the more a household, and the household in turn an individual.” – Aristotle, On Politics
Best Political Quotes By Aristotle
20. “Men engage in factional conflict through fear, both when they have committed injustice and are frightened of paying the penalty, and when they are about to suffer injustice and wish to forestall it.” – Aristotle
21. “For as man is the best of all animals when he has reached his full development, so he is worst of all when divorced from law and justice.” – Aristotle
22. “We must lay it down that the association which is a state exists not for the purpose of living together but for the sake of noble actions.” – Aristotle
23. “For where the laws do not rule there is no regime.” – Aristotle
24. “A tyrant must put on the appearance of uncommon devotion to religion. Subjects are less apprehensive of illegal treatment from a ruler whom they consider god-fearing and pious.” – Aristotle
25. “From these things it is evident, then, that the city belongs among the things that exist by nature, and that man is by nature a political animal.” – Aristotle
26. “What is many is more incorruptible; like a greater amount of water, the multitude is more incorruptible than the few.” – Aristotle
27. “Man is by nature a social animal; an individual who is unsocial naturally and not accidentally is either beneath our notice or more than human. Society is something that precedes the individual. Anyone who either cannot lead the common life or is so self-sufficient as not to need to, and therefore does not partake of society, is either a beast or a god. ” – Aristotle
28. “Nature does nothing uselessly.” – Aristotle
29. “It is of the nature of desire not to be satisfied, and most men live only for the gratification of it.” – Aristotle
30. “Yes the truth is that men’s ambition and their desire to make money are among the most frequent causes of deliberate acts of injustice.” – Aristotle
31. “And poverty is the parent of revolution and crime.” – Aristotle
32. “Men do not become tyrants in order that they may not suffer cold.” – Aristotle
33. “To seek for utility everywhere is entirely unsuited to men that are great-souled and free.” – Aristotle
34. “Now it is evident that the form of government is best in which every man, whoever he is, can act best and live happily.” – Aristotle
35. “….governments, which have a regard to the common interest, are constituted in accordance with strict principles of justice, and are therefore true forms; but those which regard only the interest of the rulers are all defective and perverted forms, for they are despotic, whereas a state is a community of freemen.” – Aristotle
36. “The idea of a king is to be a protector of the rich against unjust treatment, of the people against insult and oppression. Whereas a tyrant, as has often been repeated, has no regard to any public interest, except as conducive to his private ends; his aim is pleasure, the aim of a king, honor. Wherefore also in their desires they differ; the tyrant is desirous of riches, the king, of what brings honor. And the guards of a king are citizens, but of a tyrant mercenaries.” – Aristotle
37. “The government is everywhere sovereign in the state, and the constitution is in fact the government.” – Aristotle
38. “But justice is the bond of men in states, for the administration of justice, which is the determination of what is just, is the principle of order in political society.” – Aristotle
39. “One who asks the law to rule, therefore, is held to be asking god and intellect alone to rule, while one who asks man adds the beast. Desire is a thing of this sort; and spiritedness perverts rulers and the best men. Hence law is intellect without appetite.” – Aristotle
40. “He who is a citizen in a democracy will often not be a citizen in an oligarchy.” – Aristotle
FAQs
Who is Aristotle?
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher, scientist, and student of Plato. He is considered one of the greatest minds in history, and his work on politics, ethics, and logic has had a significant impact on Western philosophy and politics.
What did Aristotle believe about politics?
“Man is by nature a political animal.” This proverb was written by Aristotle. Aristotle held the view that because humans are social animals, we have an innate proclivity toward political participation and administration.
