Full Idea
Man is by nature a political animal.
Gist of Idea
Man is by nature a political animal
Source
Aristotle (Politics [c.332 BCE], 1253a01)
Book Reference
Aristotle: 'Politics', ed/tr. Sinclair,T.A. /Saunders,T. [Penguin 1992], p.59
A Reaction
It might be clearer if we said 'social animal'. We are certainly gregarious. Anyone who fails to be social is dismissed by Aristotle as not truly human.
Related Ideas
Idea 21435 Man is both social, and unsociable [Kant]
Idea 2820 People want to live together, even when they don't want mutual help [Aristotle]