Social Values

In his Politics, Aristotle provides the basic principles of political association, and he describes what he believed to have been the process of its development [1]:

1. “The first form of association naturally instituted for the satisfaction of daily recurrent needs is the family…” (page 4)
2. “The next form of association - which is also the first to be formed from more households than one, and for the satisfaction of something more than daily recurrent needs – is the village…” (page 4)
3. “When we come to the final and perfect association, formed from a number of villages, we have already reached the polis – an association which may be said to have reached the height of self-sufficiently…” (page 4)
4. “But the end of the state is not mere life; it is rather a good quality of life… The conclusion which clearly follows is that any polis which is truly so called, and is not merely one in name, must devote itself to the end of encouraging goodness.” (pages 118-119)
5. “Perhaps the reason why kingship was formerly common was because it was rare to find a number of men of outstanding goodness… Later there arose a number of persons of equal goodness; and they, refusing to tolerate the rule of a single person, desired to have something they could share in common, and so established a constitution.” (page 143)

Plato was more pessimistic about democracy. He felt that the best hope would be with strong rulers made wise by being trained in philosophy. Aristotle actually put this into practice. He spent three years educating Alexander, the future king of Macedonia at the request of his father Philip.

Greek social philosophy and the political experiments and legislative attempts of their city-states provided the foundations for democratic government, but in practice, these cities ended up being governed by strongmen. The Romans were more successful, although they also ended up with imperial rule. The Roman Republic was the first example of a  constitutional government operated on a grand scale and extending over centuries. Cicero, who was a Roman Senator for many years, provided the best articulation of Roman political thought.

The Roman empire was largely ruled by law, and some basic rights were guaranteed to all citizens, but this developed civilization was still capable of sponsoring the savagery of the gladiator games. The final contribution to what is best in Western Civilization came from the East. Compassion and the full sense of an inclusive community are Judeo-Christian contributions.

[1] Aristotle, The Politics, (London: Oxford University Press, 1946).