A Word from Aristotle, Ctd.

... governments which have a regard to the common interest, are constituted in accordance with strict principles of justice, and are therefore true forms; but those which regard only the interest of the rulers are all defective and perverted forms, for they are despotic, whereas a state is a community of freemen.

from Aristotle's Politics (4th century B.C.E.)

A Word from Aristotle, Ctd.

A constitution is the arrangement of magistracies in a state ... The government is everywhere sovereign in the state, and the constitution is in fact the government.

from Aristotle's Politics (4th century B.C.E.)

A Word from Aristotle, Ctd.

... the good citizen does not of necessity possess the virtue which makes a good man.

from Aristotle's Politics (4th century B.C.E.)

A Word from Aristotle, Ctd.

He who has the power to take part in the deliberative or judicial administration of any state is said by us to be a citizen of that state; and speaking generally, a state is a body of citizens sufficing for the purposes of life.

from Aristotle's Politics (4th century B.C.E.)

A Word from Aristotle, Ctd.

He who is a citizen in a democracy will often not be a citizen in an oligarchy.

from Aristotle's Politics (4th century B.C.E.)

A Word from Aristotle, Ctd.

... in all governments, two points have to be considered; first, whether any particular law is good or bad, when compared with the perfect state; secondly, whether it is or is not consistent with the idea and character which the lawgiver has set before his citizens.

from Aristotle's Politics (4th century B.C.E.)

Publishing 2012-01-21

The last, as yet, of my published pieces has been made available in print:

• "Governance and Public Duty: Balancing Pragmatism and Benevolence"

More to publish soon.

A Word from Aristotle, Ctd.

... sometimes and in certain cases laws may be changed; but when we look at the matter from another point of view, great caution would seem to be required.  For the habit of lightly changing the laws is an evil, and, when the advantage is small, some errors both of lawgivers and rulers had better be left; the citizen will not gain so much by the change as he will lose by the habit of disobedience.

from Aristotle's Politics (4th century B.C.E.)

A Word from Aristotle, Ctd.

Property should be in a certain sense common, but, as a general rule, private; for, when every one has a distinct interest, men will not complain of one another, and they will make more progress, because every one will be attending to his own business.

from Aristotle's Politics (4th century B.C.E.)

Publishing 2012-01-19

The fourth, of five, papers recently published is now available in printed paperback:

• "Herbert Marcuse: Moving Beyond the Triumvirate of Art, Language, and Politics"

One more to come from the series, as well as a lengthy literary criticism and a just-finished treatise!

A Word from Aristotle, Ctd.

... a state is not made up only of so many men, but of different kinds of men; for similars do not constitute a state.

from Aristotle's Politics (4th century B.C.E.)

A Word from Aristotle, Ctd.

... those who are in a position which places them above toil, have stewards who attend to their households while they occupy themselves with philosophy or with politics.

from Aristotle's Politics (4th century B.C.E.)

A Word from Aristotle, Ctd.

... man, when perfected, is the best of animals, but, when separated from law and justice, he is the worst of all ...

from Aristotle's Politics (4th century B.C.E.)

A Word from Aristotle, Ctd.

... it is evident that the state is a creation of nature, and that man is by nature a political animal.  And he who by nature and not by mere accident is without a state, is either above humanity, or below it ...

from Aristotle's Politics (4th century B.C.E.)

A Word from Artistotle, Ctd.

When several villages are united in a single community, perfect and large enough to be nearly or quite self-sufficing, the state comes into existence, originating in the bare needs of life, and continuing in existence for the sake of a good life.  And therefore, if the earlier forms of society are natural, so is the state.

from Aristotle's Politics (4th century B.C.E.)

A Word from Aristotle, Ctd.

Every state is a community of some kind, and every community is established with a view to some good; for mankind always act in order to obtain that which they think good.

from Aristotle's Politics (4th century B.C.E.)

A Word from Aristotle

Especially should the laws provide against any one having too much power, whether derived from friends or money; if he has, he and his followers should be sent out of the country.

from Artistotle's Politics (4th century B.C.E.)

Publishing 2012-01-11

Three printed editions have now arrived for purchase on Amazon:

• "Türkiye Cumhuriyeti: The Republic of Turkey, The European Union Member Who Never Was"
• "Public Opinion and the Politics of War: Aristophanes' Lysistrata and Thucydides' On Justice, Power, and Human Nature"
• "Sigmund Freud: Suppressing the Violent Tendencies of Humanity through Governance"

I'll post links to the other two as they go online in the coming weeks.

Publishing 2012-01-06

The next two pieces, and the last for a little while, have gone live on Amazon in digital / Kindle format.  Like the others, they will be free from January 7, 2012 through January 10, 2012:

• "Governance and Public Duty:  Balancing Pragmatism with Benevolence"
• "Herbert Marcuse:  Moving Beyond the Triumvirate of Art, Language, and Politics"

Print versions of all five coming very soon.

Publishing 2012-01-05

I've begun publishing my papers on Amazon's digital publishing platform, with printed versions being processed as well, and the first three are available now.  In fact, they're free from January 5, 2012 through January 9, 2012:

• "Sigmund Freud:  Suppressing the Violent Tendencies of Humanity through Governance"
• "Türkiye Cumhuriyeti: The Republic of Turkey, The European Union Member Who Never Was"
• "Public Opinion and the Politics of War: Aristophanes' Lysistrata and Thucydides' On Justice, Power, and Human Nature"

More as they arrive.