Aristotle's Philosophy of the Soul and Political Life

Aristotle's Theory on the Powers of the Soul

The Vegetative Power: This power involves reproductive, nutritional, and growth functions. It is common to all living beings, with plants (vegetals) occupying the first place.

The Sensitive Power: This is more complex. Within this, two degrees of function can be distinguished: primary sensibility (proper to lower animals: pain, fear, and organic alterations) and higher sensibility (proper to superior animals: common sense, imagination, and intelligence).

The Intellective Power: This is the function of the higher soul, specific to the human being. It has two main functions:

• Intellectual: Aristotle refers to two types: the agent intellect and the patient intellect. The agent intellect is a cosmic intelligence that enlightens the individual soul so that it is able to know. The patient intellect is where ideas and knowledge are formed individually.
• Volitive: The action of the will.

Social and Political Life: Human Coexistence

Associated and community life was an ancient practice and also a feeling. It was felt that individualism is not enough and fails to meet all human aspirations. That feeling was also present in the Athenian atmosphere, from the Sophists to Socrates and Plato. Aristotle continues his master's concern for matters of social life and politics.

The Human Being as a Social Being by Nature

The human being is a social being by nature. Their very nature requires them to live in the city (the polis).

Society Grounded in the Ethical Sense

Society is grounded in the ethical sense. Only the human being has the capacity for speech (the word), while other animals only have a voice. Naming things and evaluating them means to distinguish them, weigh them, and express judgment. The word communicates the ethical background of human nature itself.

The End of the Political Community

The political community should look for the good of the citizens and encourage individuals.

The Purpose of the Laws

With respect to laws, they must be guarantees of customs. Their goal is the common good and the maintenance of traditional customs.

Safeguarding Justice

Justice is the principal virtue in the social and political sphere. Its ability to maintain justice is measured in two areas:

• Distributive Justice: Relations of the state with individuals regarding burdens and obligations. Its criterion is proportionality: what is just is proportional.
• Commutative Justice: Relations of one citizen to another. It aims to correct or reorder situations and relations between citizens, whether they are consenting, suffered without knowledge, or involve conflicting and injurious criteria. Its criterion is equality: what is just is the same.