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Normative Naturalism in Aristotle’s Political Philosophy?

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State and Nature
Ein Kapitel aus dem Buch State and Nature

Abstract

This paper defends the view that in his Politics, Aristotle embraces ‘normative naturalism’, the view that nature serves as a criterion of goodness, and provides a standard against which success in the practical sphere can be measured. Accordingly, it is argued that the polis’ being ‘by nature’ brings with it teleological implications such as are familiar from Aristotle’s biology. It is also argued that at several points in the Politics, Aristotle actually presupposes this naturalist theory of norms, for instance in his discussion of constitutions that are ‘contrary to nature’.

Abstract

This paper defends the view that in his Politics, Aristotle embraces ‘normative naturalism’, the view that nature serves as a criterion of goodness, and provides a standard against which success in the practical sphere can be measured. Accordingly, it is argued that the polis’ being ‘by nature’ brings with it teleological implications such as are familiar from Aristotle’s biology. It is also argued that at several points in the Politics, Aristotle actually presupposes this naturalist theory of norms, for instance in his discussion of constitutions that are ‘contrary to nature’.

Kapitel in diesem Buch

  1. Frontmatter i
  2. Table of Contents vii
  3. Introduction ix
  4. Part I: Plato and Aristotle
  5. Human Nature and Legal Norms: Antiphon the Sophist as Anonymous Target in Plato’s Republic IX 1
  6. Natural Born Philosophers 35
  7. Normative Naturalism in Aristotle’s Political Philosophy? 59
  8. Whose State? Whose Nature? How Aristotle’s Polis is ‘Natural’ 81
  9. Aristotle on Freedom, Nature, and Law 119
  10. Aristotle on the Rationality of Women: Consequences for Virtue and Practical Accountability 135
  11. Part II: Hellenistic Philosophy
  12. Cynic Origins of the Stoic Doctrine of Natural Law? 159
  13. The Normativity of Nature in Epicurean Ethics and Politics 181
  14. Nature and Psychology in Cicero’s Republic 201
  15. Unnatural Law: A Ciceronian Perspective 221
  16. Natural Law and Casuistic Reasoning in Roman Jurisprudence 247
  17. Part III: Late Antiquity
  18. Human Nature and Normativity in Plotinus 269
  19. On Justice in Porphyry’s On Abstinence 293
  20. Early Christian Philosophers on Society and Political Norms 317
  21. Part IV: Medieval Philosophy
  22. Against Nature: Two Critics of Naturalism in the Islamic World 343
  23. “Like Ants in a Colony We Do Our Share”: Political Animals in Medieval Philosophy 365
  24. Ockham on Human Freedom and the Nature and Origin of Lordship 393
  25. Index of Names 415
  26. Index of Subjects 419
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110730944-004

Kapitel in diesem Buch

  1. Frontmatter i
  2. Table of Contents vii
  3. Introduction ix
  4. Part I: Plato and Aristotle
  5. Human Nature and Legal Norms: Antiphon the Sophist as Anonymous Target in Plato’s Republic IX 1
  6. Natural Born Philosophers 35
  7. Normative Naturalism in Aristotle’s Political Philosophy? 59
  8. Whose State? Whose Nature? How Aristotle’s Polis is ‘Natural’ 81
  9. Aristotle on Freedom, Nature, and Law 119
  10. Aristotle on the Rationality of Women: Consequences for Virtue and Practical Accountability 135
  11. Part II: Hellenistic Philosophy
  12. Cynic Origins of the Stoic Doctrine of Natural Law? 159
  13. The Normativity of Nature in Epicurean Ethics and Politics 181
  14. Nature and Psychology in Cicero’s Republic 201
  15. Unnatural Law: A Ciceronian Perspective 221
  16. Natural Law and Casuistic Reasoning in Roman Jurisprudence 247
  17. Part III: Late Antiquity
  18. Human Nature and Normativity in Plotinus 269
  19. On Justice in Porphyry’s On Abstinence 293
  20. Early Christian Philosophers on Society and Political Norms 317
  21. Part IV: Medieval Philosophy
  22. Against Nature: Two Critics of Naturalism in the Islamic World 343
  23. “Like Ants in a Colony We Do Our Share”: Political Animals in Medieval Philosophy 365
  24. Ockham on Human Freedom and the Nature and Origin of Lordship 393
  25. Index of Names 415
  26. Index of Subjects 419
Heruntergeladen am 26.4.2026 von https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110730944-004/html?lang=de
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