On the Priority of the Aristotelian Polis over the Individual The Polis as a Hylomorphic Whole
In Politics I 2 (1253a18–27), Aristotle makes a controversial claim that the polis is prior in nature to the individual. The aim of this article is to reconstruct this thesis. According to recent scholarship, there are two main ways to understand priority in nature in Aristotle. It may be construed...
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Vilnius University Press
2024-04-01
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| Series: | Problemos |
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| Online Access: | https://www.journals.vu.lt/problemos/article/view/33414 |
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| author | Christos Panayides |
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| author_sort | Christos Panayides |
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In Politics I 2 (1253a18–27), Aristotle makes a controversial claim that the polis is prior in nature to the individual. The aim of this article is to reconstruct this thesis. According to recent scholarship, there are two main ways to understand priority in nature in Aristotle. It may be construed as ‘existential priority, or as ‘priority in being’. It is argued that: (a) The first option is problematic; it cannot give us a viable reading of the thesis in Politics I 2. Whereas (b) The second option provides us with a sound approach to the puzzle at hand. Furthermore, it is argued that the exegetical plausibility of the suggested reading of the thesis in Politics I 2 (1253a18–27) may be bolstered if we note that, for Aristotle, the polis is a particular kind of hylomorphic whole.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-eab0c5267a174eb19761c6fe96b133b9 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1392-1126 2424-6158 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-04-01 |
| publisher | Vilnius University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Problemos |
| spelling | doaj-art-eab0c5267a174eb19761c6fe96b133b92025-01-20T18:24:22ZengVilnius University PressProblemos1392-11262424-61582024-04-0110510.15388/Problemos.2024.105.1On the Priority of the Aristotelian Polis over the Individual The Polis as a Hylomorphic WholeChristos Panayides0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4556-4996University of Nicosia, Cyprus In Politics I 2 (1253a18–27), Aristotle makes a controversial claim that the polis is prior in nature to the individual. The aim of this article is to reconstruct this thesis. According to recent scholarship, there are two main ways to understand priority in nature in Aristotle. It may be construed as ‘existential priority, or as ‘priority in being’. It is argued that: (a) The first option is problematic; it cannot give us a viable reading of the thesis in Politics I 2. Whereas (b) The second option provides us with a sound approach to the puzzle at hand. Furthermore, it is argued that the exegetical plausibility of the suggested reading of the thesis in Politics I 2 (1253a18–27) may be bolstered if we note that, for Aristotle, the polis is a particular kind of hylomorphic whole. https://www.journals.vu.lt/problemos/article/view/33414AristotlePolisExistential PriorityPriority in BeingHylomorphism |
| spellingShingle | Christos Panayides On the Priority of the Aristotelian Polis over the Individual The Polis as a Hylomorphic Whole Problemos Aristotle Polis Existential Priority Priority in Being Hylomorphism |
| title | On the Priority of the Aristotelian Polis over the Individual The Polis as a Hylomorphic Whole |
| title_full | On the Priority of the Aristotelian Polis over the Individual The Polis as a Hylomorphic Whole |
| title_fullStr | On the Priority of the Aristotelian Polis over the Individual The Polis as a Hylomorphic Whole |
| title_full_unstemmed | On the Priority of the Aristotelian Polis over the Individual The Polis as a Hylomorphic Whole |
| title_short | On the Priority of the Aristotelian Polis over the Individual The Polis as a Hylomorphic Whole |
| title_sort | on the priority of the aristotelian polis over the individual the polis as a hylomorphic whole |
| topic | Aristotle Polis Existential Priority Priority in Being Hylomorphism |
| url | https://www.journals.vu.lt/problemos/article/view/33414 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT christospanayides onthepriorityofthearistotelianpolisovertheindividualthepolisasahylomorphicwhole |