Excerpt from The Political Thought of Lato and Aristotle

While thus looking backward, I have, in a sense, attempted to look forward. While attempting to refer Aristotelian conceptions to their sources in past specula tion, and to their basis in contemporary Greek politics, I have also attempted to discuss the value of those con ceptions to-day, and the extent to which they can be applied to modern politics. I have taken, for instance, Aristotle's conception of citizenship, of democracy, and of distributive justice, and I have tried to show how far they can be used to illustrate, and what light they can be made to throw, on the conditions of modern citizen ship, the problems of modern democracy, and the distribution of political power in the modern State.

The seven chapters (v.-xi.) which are directly con cerned with the Politics have been arranged on the following scheme. Chapter v. Is meant to sketch the background of the Politics - its relation to contem porary history and to Aristotle's philosophical system. In chapters vi. And vii. The two conceptions of end and whole are considered, and the results are deduced which follow upon their application to politics. Chapter viii. Deals with the moral aspect of the life of a political association, and chapter ix. With its material or economic side; but since economies are considered by Aristotle from an ethical point of view, the moral life of the State really comes under discussion in both chapters. All these five chapters may be regarded as general prolegomena they are based on the first three books of the Politics. In the last two chapters particular States are considered. Chapter x. Is occupied by a sketch of Aristotle's ideal State: its basis is the two books (vii. And viii. In the old order; iv. And v. In the new) in which Aristotle propounds his ideal. Chapter xi. Is Concerned with actual States-principally oligarchy and democracy, and with Aristotle's suggestions for their amelioration - especially the Polity; and here I have used the three books (iv., v. And vi. In the old order vi., vii. And viii. In the new) in which Aristotle deals with contemporary politics.

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