Political and social creatures that must live ethical and harmonious life with others
Nichomachean Ethics
Book V - Theory of Justice
Equality is linked to justice
Arithmetic equality
Corrective/refectory justice
All men are equal in eyes of law both in terms of
involuntary (criminal) law and voluntary (keeping
of contracts) law.
Annotations:
If one man murders another he is affecting the equality of men, refectory justice alters this distubance
Proportional/geomentric equality
Distributive Justice
There are goods to be distributed and
this may be unequally but justice is still
relevant
Annotations:
Eg. two people, one flute yet only one can play, flute should go to the flute player
Treating equals equally and unequals unequally
Athens along with Plato
Wasn't native to Athens (Alien)
Part of Greek
Enlightenment
Annotations:
Growth of Philosophy and exclusion of myth
Democracy
Most citizens worked and
couldn't indulge in political
activity
Political equality
One man one vote
Equality
before the law
Regardless of
wealth
Natural equality
Everyone has
valuable contribution to
make
Both Plato and Aristotle argue for
aristocracy not democracy
Pericles Funeral
Orientation gives intellectual
justification for democracy
Best way of ruling? Aristocracy. See note.
Annotations:
Goods = Poltical Power
Population = citizen body
Standard of distribution??
If standard is;
wealth = oligarchy
citizenship = democract
merit (wisdom + virtue) = aristocracy
This is an example of distributive justice.