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Ancient Greek Philosophers
Plato & Aristotle
Contributions to Western Political Thought
Teacher Preparation
• Copy 1-per-student, back-to-back
worksheets: Plato & Aristotle Contributions to
Western Political Thought / Letter
• Worksheets are at the end of the lecture
• The film clips should play automatically. If not,
simply close the power point and double-click on
film icon.
• Key for worksheet is included.
Pair-Share
•What do you know about
Ancient Greece?
•What are the differences
between the city-states of
Athens and Sparta?
Objective
Students will trace the development
of the Western political ideas of the
rule of law and illegitimacy of
tyranny, using selections from
Plato's Republic and Aristotle's
Politics.
Ancient Greece Introduction
Athens
a coastal city
that was a
center of trade
Ancient Greece
Athenians were
used to
merchants,
missionaries,
artists, scholars,
and travelers
from other
countries
Athenians
developed
democracy
Greece is a nation of islands and mountains
Sparta
the geography
resulted
difficulty to communicate and travel between areas
located
in a valley with
hugeinmountains
this ledfew
to Ancient
Greece to
developing
visitors traveled
Sparta city-states, where individual cities ruled themselves
and some of the land around the city
Spartans became war-like and developed
Athens
and Sparta rose as the most important city-states
totalitarianism
Sparta started totalitarianism
this is a form of government that uses
force and power to rule a people
there were three groups: slaves, known
as Helots; Spartan females, who were
taught to be fit, brave, and patriotic; and
Spartan males, all of whom became
warriors
newborn males judged to be weak were
left to die of exposure, at the age of
seven, boys left home to live in barracks
and receive military training from older
boys
boys went barefoot, wore minimal
clothing (even in winter), practiced all
forms of athletics, and received military
instruction
they married at age 20 but continued to
live in the barracks
Helots provided the necessary food and
labor for Spartan males and females
Sparta
Athens introduced democracy
a political system where all
citizens participated in
governmental activities
all citizens were equal before the
law and participated in the
government
slaves and women, however, were
not allowed citizenship
Athenians eventually abolished
slavery and developed a direct
democracy where citizens chose
the members of the powerful
Assembly
Athenian youth were
encouraged to develop artistic
and intellectual talents to such a
degree that historians refer to
their developments in the arts and
politics as a “Golden Age”
Athens
Sparta
upper classes had all power
and privilege
Helots (slaves) did all the
work
Athens
all citizens were equal
women and slaves were not
allowed to become citizens
Pair-Share:
List more differences between Sparta and Athens
Plato
• Plato was born in Athens (Greece) in 428 BC
• a good education was essential
• started a school and had students like Aristotle
•wrote a book called The Republic where he argued that all people
should be well-educated
•Oligarchy – 1 ruler (philosopher kings –the wisest)
•Ruler must be a craftsman, public spirited, and skilled in
government
• Laws: good for all, a set of guidelines for society
•Plato wanted to create a “Perfect” society
Aristotle
• lived in ancient Greece
• tutored Alexander the Great
• believed law and order were needed to stop
people becoming selfish and evil
•Government: Democracy (all citizens
participate in governing
•Wrote Politics
• best rulers would be a welleducated middle class citizenry
•Laws: Good life for all
•Wanted to improve the
society that already existed
Film Clip:
Ancient Greek Philosophy
Wrap-Up Activity
• Complete the worksheet: Plato & Aristotle Contributions
to Western Political Thought by reading each excerpt and
explain the political idea expressed.
• Then, write a letter to either Plato or Aristotle explaining:
– 1. Two qualities you admire about the person
– 2. Two ideas you agree with
– 3. Two ideas you do not agree with or do not
understand
Plato & Aristotle
Contributions to Western Political Thought
Directions: Read each excerpt and explain the political idea expressed.
The Republic by Plato
#1: Then, with the ordinary conventions of civilized life thrown into
confusion, human nature,...showed itself proudly in its true colors, as
something incapable of controlling passion, insubordinate to the idea of
justice.
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
#2: Until philosophers rule as kings or those who are now called kings
and leading men genuinely and adequately philosophise, that is, until
political power and philosophy entirely coincide, while the many natures
who at present pursue either one exclusively are forcibly prevented
from doing so, cities will have no rest from evils,... nor, I think, will the
human race.
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
#3Democracy is a charming form of government, full of
variety and disorder, and dispensing a sort of equality to
equals and unequal alike.
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
#4: The people have always some champion whom they set over them
and nurse into greatness.... This and no other is the root from which
a tyrant springs; when he first appears he is a protector.
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Politics by Aristotle
#1: Justice therefore demands that no one should do more ruling than
being ruled, but that all should have their turn.
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
#2: But since there is but one aim for the entire state, it follows that
education must be one and the same for all, and that the responsibility
for it must be a public one, not the private affair which it now
s, each man looking after his own children and teaching them privately
whatever private curriculum he thinks they ought to study.
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
#3: For as man is the best of all animals when he has reached his full
development, so he is worst of all when divorced from law and justice.
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
#4: But obviously a state which becomes progressively more and more
of a unity will cease to be a state at all. Plurality of numbers is natural in
a state; and the farther it moves away from plurality towards unity, the
less of a state it becomes and the more a household, and the household
in turn an individual.
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Plato & Aristotle
Contributions to Western Political Thought
Directions: Read each excerpt and explain the political idea expressed.
The Republic by Plato
#1: Then, with the ordinary conventions of civilized life thrown into
confusion, human nature,...showed itself proudly in its true colors, as
something incapable of controlling passion, insubordinate to the idea of
justice.
Answer: Plato saw man's true nature as rational and believed
that civilized society must be organized, and civilized life conducted
according to rational principles.
#2: Until philosophers rule as kings or those who are now called kings
and leading men genuinely and adequately philosophise, that is, until
political power and philosophy entirely coincide, while the many natures
who at present pursue either one exclusively are forcibly prevented
from doing so, cities will have no rest from evils,... nor, I think, will the
human race.
Answer: According to the principles of Athenian Democracy only a
few are fit to rule. Instead of rhetoric and persuasion, Plato says
reason and wisdom should govern.
#3Democracy is a charming form of government, full of
variety and disorder, and dispensing a sort of equality to
equals and unequal alike.
Answer: Disorder in a democracy comes from the idea that everyone is
equal, although they are really not. Man should do what he is best at.
Some are best at ruling, some are not.
#4: The people have always some champion whom they set over them
and nurse into greatness.... This and no other is the root from which
a tyrant springs; when he first appears he is a protector.
Answer: Dictators are often chosen by the people because they
promise the protection and peace, not control and tyranny.
Politics by Aristotle
#1: Justice therefore demands that no one should do more ruling than
being ruled, but that all should have their turn.
Answer: Aristotle outlines his belief that all citizens should share in
power so that they can be accustomed to ruling and being ruled.
#2: But since there is but one aim for the entire state, it follows that
education must be one and the same for all, and that the responsibility
for it must be a public one, not the private affair which it now
s, each man looking after his own children and teaching them privately
whatever private curriculum he thinks they ought to study.
Answers: Aristotle develops his argument that the education of the
children of citizens should be a public responsibility, since they are the
future citizens and rulers of the state.
#3: For as man is the best of all animals when he has reached his full
development, so he is worst of all when divorced from law and justice.
Answer: Aristotle is describing the importance of the relationship
between the state and the individual.
#4: But obviously a state which becomes progressively more and more
of a unity will cease to be a state at all. Plurality of numbers is natural in
a state; and the farther it moves away from plurality towards unity, the
less of a state it becomes and the more a household, and the household
in turn an individual.
Answer: Aristotle warnings of the dangers of totalitarianism and the
tendency in modern democratic states to manage political opinion
with ever-increasing sophistication.