Quotessence
Home / Books / The Essential Aristotle

The Essential Aristotle

Book by Aristotle · 11 quotes · Government, Men, Virtue

Filter quotes by topic

AllGovernmentMenVirtueCitizensStatesIfsShouldFormForms Of GovernmentConstitutionDemocracyLawNicomachean EthicsLittlesOligarchyPerfectSaidWellsHabitLegislators

The Essential Aristotle Quotes

“The error of Socrates must be attributed to the false notion of unity from which he starts. Unity there should be, both of the family and of the state, but in some respects only. For there is a point at which a state may attain such a degree of unity as to be no longer a state, or at which, without actually ceasing to exist, it will become an inferior state, like harmony passing into unison, or rhythm which has been reduced to a single foot. The state, as I was saying, is a plurality which should be united and made into a community by education”

ShouldMayHas BeensMadeStatesCommunityUnitedFeetDegreesHarmonyErrorsUnityNotionPassingPassingsRhythmCommunismInferiorsUnison
Book:The Essential Aristotle
Create image

“In all well-attempered governments there is nothing which should be more jealously maintained than the spirit of obedience to law, more especially in small matters; for transgression creeps in unperceived and at last ruins the state, just as the constant recurrence of small expenses in time eats up a fortune.”

ShouldWellsMatterStatesGovernmentLastsLawSpiritConstantFortuneRuinsObedienceExpensesCreepsTransgressionRecurrenceJealously
Book:The Essential Aristotle
Create image

“Neither should men study war with a view to the enslavement of those who do not deserve to be enslaved; but first of all they should provide against their own enslavement, and in the second place obtain empire for the good of the governed, and not for the sake of exercising a general despotism, and in the third place they should seek to be masters only over those who deserve to be slaves.”

MenShouldFirstsWarGovernmentViewsStudyMastersExerciseDeserveThirdsSlaveSakeEmpiresDespotismEnslavementBe A SlaveSecond PlaceThird Place
Book:The Essential Aristotle
Create image

“Even when laws have been written down, they ought not always to remain unaltered. As in other sciences, so in politics, it is impossible that all things should be precisely set down in writing; for enactments must be universal, but actions are concerned with particulars. Hence we infer that sometimes and in certain cases laws may be changed.”

ShouldWritingMayHas BeensSometimesActionLawCertainJusticeCasesImpossibleWrittenChangedOughtConcernedAll ThingsUniversal
Book:The Essential Aristotle
Create image

“The legislator should direct his attention above all to the education of youth; for the neglect of education does harm to the constitution. The citizen should be molded to suit the form of government under which he lives. For each government has a peculiar character which originally formed and which continues to preserve it. The character of democracy creates democracy, and the character of oligarchy creates oligarchy.”

ShouldDoeCharacterGovernmentFormAttentionDemocracyYouthCitizensDirectConstitutionHarmSuitsPreservesNeglectPeculiarForms Of GovernmentLegislatorsOligarchy
Book:The Essential Aristotle
Create image