ARISTOTLE AND SLAVERY

Aristotle and Slavery

Aristotle and Slavery

Ancient Greek society supported a civilization based on slavery. They believed slavery aimed at a goal and had the quality of goodness backing it. These Athenian slaves were not just what one might typically envision a slave to be. They not only worked in fields, they were personal servants, accountants, teachers and public servants. They were devices of production. There were appendages to their master and without their master, a part of nothing. To Aristotle a society that was broken down into classes naturally occurred. He said, "For that some should rule and others be ruled is a thing not only necessary, but expedient; from the hour of their birth, some are marked out for subjection, others for rule."(Chap 5) He believed all societies should have subordination and super ordination. Aristotle said the two groups mutually have a need for one another to co-exist, and neither group would survive without reliance onto their counterpart. The simplest way he exemplified his theory, was to take the relationship between man and woman, without one another the two could not pro-create and society would cease. Throughout time men are considered naturally stronger and possessing more intelligence than women. They had the ultimate abilities to rule. He expresses the relation between the soul and the body. We know that without a soul the body is of little importance, and its functioning without the superior force of the soul has little relevance.

In Book I of Politics, he started out speaking of the management of a household. As it is often the case today, the father or patriarchal figure was the super ordinate. His wife and children, bearing his name become the living properties of his household. The head of the household lays down the law for its members ...