Aristotle
Philosopher, logic, natural science
Sayings by Aristotle
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.
The courage of a man is shown in commanding, of a woman in obeying.
It is evident that the form of government is best in which every man, whoever he is, can act best and live happily.
As regards the sexes, the male is by nature superior and the female inferior, the male ruler and the female subject.
The slave has no deliberative faculty at all; the woman has, but it is without authority, and the child has, but it is immature.
For the female is as it were a mutilated male.
For the man is more divine in his nature than the woman.
It is better for a city to be governed by a good man than by a good law.
The best form of government is a polity, a mixture of oligarchy and democracy.
A state is not a mere society, having a common place, established for the prevention of mutual crime and for the sake of exchange. These are conditions without which a state cannot exist; but all of them together do not constitute a state.
The citizen in an absolute sense is defined by no other thing so much as by sharing in decision and office.
It is clear that the best state is that in which the middle class is in control, and that those states are likely to be well-administered, in which the middle class is large, and stronger than both the other classes, or at any rate than either of them separately.
The most perfect political community is one in which the middle class is in control, and outnumbers both the other classes.
For property alone is not sufficient to make a man a citizen.
A man is a political animal.
The citizen of a democracy is one who participates in the judicial and legislative functions.
The virtue of the citizen is relative to the constitution.
The best life is the life of virtue, which is practical reason.
Happiness is an activity of the soul in accordance with perfect virtue.
It is in justice that the ordering of society is centered.