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Recovering the Political Aristotle: A Critical Response to Smith

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2014

Ronald J. Terchek  and
David K. Moore
Ronald J. Terchek
Affiliation:
University of Maryland, College Park
David K. Moore
Affiliation:
University of Maryland, College Park
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Abstract

Thomas Smith presents an Aristotelian view of the common good that resembles much contemporary political theory in that it focuses on ethics rather than politics. Smith contends that Aristotle is a potent remedy to a society in crisis due to its unconcern about the common good. Against Smith's apolitical reading of Aristotle, we examine how Aristotle's views of common advantage, the multiple needs of citizens, and political friendship support neither harmonizing conceptions of the good nor a personal “radical conversion” that makes the common good our primary political concern. In engaging the political Aristotle, we find instead that he is concerned with the necessary conflict that resists attempts to arrive at the common advantage, with the material basis of good citizenship, and with the institutions and practices that foster a good deliberative politics.

Type
Forum
Information
American Political Science Review , Volume 94 , Issue 4 , December 2000 , pp. 905 - 911
Copyright
Copyright © American Political Science Association 2000

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