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Single Idea 22568

[filed under theme 25. Social Practice / B. Equalities / 2. Political equality ]

Full Idea

Inferiors engage in faction in order to be equal, while equals do so in order to be superior.

Gist of Idea

Faction is for inferiors to be equal, and equals to become superior

Source

Aristotle (Politics [c.332 BCE], 1302a30)

Book Ref

Aristotle: 'Politics', ed/tr. Reeve,C.D.C. [Hackett 2017], p.113


A Reaction

In Britain that seems to trade unions in the first case, and the Conservative Party in the second case. Aristotle dislikes faction, but he's stuck with it because he insists on freedom.


The 16 ideas with the same theme [equality of involvement in running society]:

It is dreadful to neither give a share nor receive a share [Aristotle]
Faction is for inferiors to be equal, and equals to become superior [Aristotle]
The Heraeans replaced election with lot, to thwart campaigning [Aristotle]
Democracy is corrupted by lack of equality, or by extreme equality (between rulers and ruled) [Montesquieu]
All citizens are eligible for roles in the state, purely on the basis of merit [Mirabeau/committee]
Equality can only be established by equal rights for all (or no rights for anyone) [Tocqueville]
In modern society virtue is 'equal rights', but only because everyone is zero, so it is a sum of zeroes [Nietzsche]
Perfect political equality requires economic equality [Gramsci]
Political involvement is needed, to challenge existing practices [Habermas, by Kymlicka]
Democracy is opposed to equality, if the poor are not a majority [Nagel]
Equality nowadays is seen as political, social, legal and economic [Nagel]
Equality can either be defended as good for society, or as good for individual rights [Nagel]
Complex equality restricts equalities from spilling over, like money influencing politics and law [Walzer, by Tuckness/Wolf]
Equal opportunities seems fair, because your fate is from your choices, not your circumstances [Kymlicka]
Equal opportunity arbitrarily worries about social circumstances, but ignores talents [Kymlicka]
Political equality is not much use without social equality [Wolff,J]