[Introduction to] Plato, Aristotle, and the Purpose of Politics

In this book, Kevin M. Cherry compares the views of Plato and Aristotle about the practice, study, and, above all, the purpose of politics. The first scholar to place Aristotle\u27s Politics in sustained dialogue with Plato\u27s Statesman, Cherry argues that Aristotle rejects the view of politics advanced by Plato\u27s Eleatic Stranger, contrasting them on topics such as the proper categorization of regimes, the usefulness and limitations of the rule of law, and the proper understanding of phronēsis. The various differences between their respective political philosophies, however, reflect a more fundamental difference in how they view the relationship of human beings to the natural world around them. Reading the Politics in light of the Statesman sheds new light on Aristotle\u27s political theory and provides a better understanding of Aristotle\u27s criticism of Socrates. Most importantly, it highlights an enduring and important question: Should politics have as its primary purpose the preservation of life, or should it pursue the higher good of living well?https://scholarship.richmond.edu/bookshelf/1149/thumbnail.jp