The Politics and Economics of Aristotle Author:Aristotle Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: ANALYSIS ARISTOTLE'S POLITICS. Introductory.—Aristotle, in conformity with his usual custom, commences the first Book of his treatise with a practical inqu... more »iry into the parts or elements of which the state is composed; and having laid down a brief outline of the first principles of man's social nature, and of domestic life in its various relations, he shows how these relations naturally combine into that form of social existence which is called a state. But before entering theoretically into the nature of the best state, he gives, in Book II., a brief account of, and criticism upon, the various forms of government which have been devised by philsosophers and politicians. In Book III. he proceeds to discuss in detail the state, the citizen, and the government, with its various forms, and their respective perversions and corruptions. In Book IV. he gives a brief outline of his " Polity," or perfect republic, (iroireia,) with an enumeration of the magistrates necessary for carrying it out: while Book V. enters philosophically into the causes which tend to overthrow it. In Book VI. he returns to the subject of democracy and oligarchy ; while in the two concluding books of his treatise—(which has evidently come down to us in a mutilated condition)—he enters into an elaborate discussion of the best regulations of government in his ideal polity, descending to the comparatively minute particulars of the sites necessary for towns and houses, and the laws requisite for regulating matrimony and the education of the young, with a special view to the interests of the community. In Book VIII. he commences his inquiry into the education of the young, which breaks off most abruptly just atthe point where we should most earnestly have desired to see our author's opinions fully and fairly work...« less