“ For the one party, if they are unequal in one respect, for example wealth, consider themselves to be unequal in all ”
Aristotle, Politics (4th century BC). copy citation
Author | Aristotle |
---|---|
Source | Politics |
Topic | wealth respect |
Date | 4th century BC |
Language | English |
Reference | |
Note | Translated by Benjamin Jowett |
Weblink | http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/politics.html |
Context
“And whereas justice implies a relation to persons as well as to things, and a just distribution, as I have already said in the Ethics, implies the same ratio between the persons and between the things, they agree about the equality of the things, but dispute about the equality of the persons, chiefly for the reason which I have just given- because they are bad judges in their own affairs; and secondly, because both the parties to the argument are speaking of a limited and partial justice, but imagine themselves to be speaking of absolute justice. For the one party, if they are unequal in one respect, for example wealth, consider themselves to be unequal in all; and the other party, if they are equal in one respect, for example free birth, consider themselves to be equal in all. But they leave out the capital point. For if men met and associated out of regard to wealth only, their share in the state would be proportioned to their property, and the oligarchical doctrine would then seem to carry the day.”
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