The Political Animal

Much time has been devoted to the study of how and why

governments exist. This effort is required to understand

America's political and philosophical roots. The ancient

Greek philosopher Aristotle pursued and ultimately

answered this question in his work, The Politics. Though

written thousands of years ago, the lessons taught about the

natural state of politics reveal the immensely complex

system of an organized civil government in modern United

States. Perhaps one of the most profound thoughts

revealed in The Politics concerns the origin and nature of

basic government, the cities. "Hence it is evident that a city

is a natural production, and that man is naturally a political

animal" (Aristotle 1253a). Aristotle's line from The Politics

exemplifies two distinct but related points. The first part

states that the formation of cities is natural and the second

deals with the idea that man is by his own nature, a political

being.

At the beginning of The Politics, Aristotle says, "every city

must be allowed to be the work of nature, if we admit that

the original society between male and female is; for to this

as their end all subordinate societies tend, and the end of

everything is the nature of it"(1253b). Each city begins as a

collection of partnerships. These associations are the

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bonds that men create between each other as a result of

their natural tendency to be social and interact, "there is

then in all persons a natural impetus to associate with each

other" (1253a). Partnerships are natural because man is not

inclined to be self-sufficient on his own merits. A man

cannot exist merely for his own sake and expect to be a

functioning member of the city but must be supplemented

through the thoughts and ideas of other men. A man must

experience interaction with others to more fully complete

his existence. This supplementation is the essence of

partnerships because dealing with other men increases each

man's own wholeness. Furthermore, by listening to the

thoughts and ideas of other men, he is furthering his own

proclivity, enabling him to be active in the city and

therefore, becoming a human being. It is only through the

city, however, that man can truly be complete because it

reaches a level of full self-sufficiency. The collection of

partnerships that comprise the city makes men into

complete human beings and assists them on their way to

happiness, "the end and perfection of government: first

founded that we might live, but continued that we may live

happily"(1252b). This is a level of excellence for man

because it means that he will not only survive but will thrive

after becoming fully human and therefore happy. Aristotle

asserts that the city, because it is made up of different

partnerships which are natural, becomes self-sustaining

without outside help. In Aristotle's opinion, cities are not

created, they already exist; it is just a matter of forming the

partnerships to find it and its rewards.

Since the natural purpose of man is to be as

comprehensively human as possible, and the natural

purpose of the city is to make men human, Aristotle says

that this process

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of making the city is natural. The difficulty of this process is

the nature in which the city goes about developing the

human. It is difficult because it relies on the relationships

men have with each other. They must come together and

complete each other to fulfill their purpose just as individual

pieces join together to complete a puzzle. In Aristotle's

world, the importance of the individuality of men is not

initially significant because everyone lives to be part of the

city. In other words, because the city makes human beings,

man must exert all of his efforts to participate and interact in

the city. It is only after being part of the city that man,

becoming a complete human, will be able to reap the

rewards of total excellence in life and happiness. Another

reason that the city is natural is that "the notion of a city

naturally precedes that of family or an individual" (1253a).

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