Aristotle Quotes About Society

• Republics decline into democracies and democracies degenerate into despotisms.

  Aristotle

  Philosophical, Historical, Democracy

• The most perfect political community is one in which the middle class is in control, and outnumbers both of the other classes.

  Aristotle

  Philosophical, Class, Perfect

• He who is unable to live in society, or who has no need because he is sufficient for himself, must be either a beast or a god.

  Aristotle

  Philosophical, Liberty, Society

  Politics bk. 1, 1253a

• Virtue means doing the right thing, in relation to the right person, at the right time, to the right extent, in the right manner, and for the right purpose. Thus, to give money away is quite a simple task, but for the act to be virtuous, the donor must give to the right person, for the right purpose, in the right amount, in the right manner, and at the right time.

  Aristotle

  Mean, Simple, Giving

• Nor was civil society founded merely to preserve the lives of its members; but that they might live well: for otherwise a state might be composed of slaves, or the animal creation... nor is it an alliance mutually to defend each other from injuries, or for a commercial intercourse. But whosoever endeavors to establish wholesome laws in a state, attends to the virtues and vices of each individual who composes it; from whence it is evident, that the first care of him who would found a city, truly deserving that name, and not nominally so, must be to have his citizens virtuous.

  Aristotle

  Animal, Law, Cities

• The most perfect political community must be amongst those who are in the middle rank, and those states are best instituted wherein these are a larger and more respectable part, if possible, than both the other; or, if that cannot be, at least than either of them separate.

  Aristotle

  Class, Perfect, Community

  Aristotle (1919). “A treatise on government: translated from the Greek of Aristotle”

• Every community is an association of some kind and every community is established with a view to some good; for everyone always acts in order to obtain that which they think good. But, if all communities aim at some good, the state or political community, which is the highest of all, and which embraces all the rest, aims at good in a greater degree than any other, and at the highest good.

  Aristotle

  Thinking, Views, Order

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