In "The Politics," Artistotle said that "man is a political animal!." But how come there are so many Americans who don't even care about politics!?
Was Aristotle mistaken!?Www@QuestionHome@Com
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Position:Home>Philosophy> Apolitical in America?Question: Apolitical in America!? In "The Politics," Artistotle said that "man is a political animal!." But how come there are so many Americans who don't even care about politics!?
Was Aristotle mistaken!?Www@QuestionHome@Com Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: keep in mind that Aristotle came from the affluent "intelligensia" class of Athenians, those men (and only men) who lived in the acropolis and congregated in the forum to vote directly on issues!. Typically it was only the city-dwellers who came to vote, as men who lived beyond the walls had a long journey for an issue that probably didn't concern them!. After all, what did a simple farmer care about this tariff or that tax!. You had a wide disconnect between the common people and the city-dwellers, as the commoners cared little for politics while politics consumed the city-dweller's life!. The city-dwellers even came up with a derogatory slang that means, literally, a person who is disinterested in politics!. That word was "idiot"!. Now you also have to understand that there were fundamental differences between Athenians and Americans, particularly in the way they interact with other people!. In America, it is considered bad taste to initiate a political or religious conversation with a complete stranger, because that person is seen as obsessed or eccentric!. In Athens, it was the opposite, political conversation permuted everything!. Whereas in America, we make small talk by talking about the weather, or a sports team or something to do with our everyday lives, and we reserve political/religious conversations for certain media!. Athenians would have made small talk with politics/religion with anyone and everyone; in fact, the Athenian concept of a friend was that of a challenge, you wanted your friends to debate with you, and you wanted your friends to try as hard as you do to try and "convert" a person to your cause!. It has to do with culture!. Athens was a direct democracy, legislative issues were put to a popular vote, so political issues were always on the minds of the Athenians as they voted quite frequently!. In America, we elect represenatives to make the decisions for us, which means that politics is more distant to us than it was to the Athenians!. That isn't to say that it doesn't exist, as abortion, immigration, and evolution are all issues that Americans get quite passionate about!. The difference is that we reserve our political beliefs for appropriate channels!. This comes from our British past, where the British were very organized in their thoughts and culturally established this disconnect, as overly rowdy or passionate people in (at least the upper class) were considered buffoons who wore their thoughts on their sleeves!. Furthermore, Americans are a highly individualistic culture, we generally view the law as something that should level the playing field, and as long as the playing field is level, everything is fine, and change isn't necessary!. This established a culture of people who focus on themselves and their own issues and generally leave people to deal with their own!. So politics, which is the act of governing large groups of people, is less pronounced in our culture, as evident by our largely live and let live culture!. Aristotle's maxim that man is a political animal stems from his culture that in Athens, man made small talk by discussing politics!. In Athens, politics was the act of being social!. So the maxim that man is a social animal is more appropriate for our culture and is not contradictory to Aristotle's original quote!.Www@QuestionHome@Com By saying that man is a political animal Aristotle meant that man has the ABILITY to be political!. We were given a unique sense of being, the ability to form a government, and the intelligence to keep said government running!. Where the trick comes in is when people pick and choose what they wish to learn, what ideas they choose to support, and mainly what they wish to do with their lives!. We have the chance to be political beings if we choose to be, but many do not choose so!.Www@QuestionHome@Com All political games based on judgment!.!.Location of your metaphorical bench on which you judge the world define your politics !.!.!.if there is no judgment there is no politics!. Aristotle was polite saying that man is political animal, I would say man are judgmental monster!.!.and his judgment make him so!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com just because the man doesn't vote or watch debates doesn't mean he won't use "social politics" to get ahead at work, to meet people, etc!. All politics aren't "political" in the government sense of the word!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com The same quote could be interpreted that "man is a social animal," Thus it doesn't necessarily mean all persons are inclined to be interested in matters of the state!.Www@QuestionHome@Com no, as long as being apolitical is someone's political option in itself!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com We have the ability to sing too !.!.!. but some have natural talent, others don't!.Www@QuestionHome@Com |