Q.11. Why is Aristotle often remembered as the father of Political Science ?
Ans. In comparison with the radical and absract nature of Plato's philosophy the political philosophy of Aristotle is empirical and discriptive. In spite of many repetitions and certain inconsistencies the central theme of Aristotle's politics is balance of moderation. Aristotle aims at the reconsiliation of ideals and actualities. In doing so he dealt with most of modern problems. He deviated a long way from Plato, but for this very reason he widened the scope of political science.
1. Father of the study of comparative government: Aristotle's theories were based on a detailed knowledge of the past history and on a reliance on the teachings of experience in history. he condoned Plato for paying insufficient attention to history and creating schemes of government without due preference either to the nature of human, animal or actual form of government. he had studied over 150 constitutions before he wrote his "Politics". Political studies thus became empirical or inductive in his hands. Hemay, therefore, be called the father of the study of comparative government.
2. Return of Actuals: Ethics and Politics: Besides attaching great importance to collection of facts, Aristotle stressed the problems of values and importance of ethical judgements. He guided the significance of the facts in terms of the end or purpose of the state. Politics was to him the culmination of ethics. he was the first realist as against idealism of Plato. While Plato raved in the imaginary world of idealism, Aristotle dealt with the reforming of actuals.
3. Empirical and Descriptive : Aristotle never completed his ideal state for which he gave introduction in his Book III. It is because of the reason that these ideals were bunk in the mid stream of realities. According to Sabine, "What all he wrote was a book not on an Ideal state, but on the ideals of state". This is due to the reason that he was more empirical and descriptive.
4. Plato v/s Aristotle : Pointing out the difference between Plato and Aristotle Maxy said, "As Plato is father idealists, romanticists, revolutionists and utopians of political philosophy, so Aristotle is father to the realists, scientists, pragmatis(t) and utilitarians. All who believe in new worlds for old are disciplels of Plato, all who believe in old worlds made new by the tedious and toilsome use of science and are disciples of Aristotle".
5. The chief defect of Plato's political philosophy was that it was cut into two incompetible halves. His ideal state of "Republic" had absolute role of philosopher-king untrammulled by law or consent of the people. But his second best state of "The Laws" gave importance to laws and public consent. Aristotle restored law to its He established sovereignty of law in the state. proper place.
6. Constitutional Rule: Due to his regard for law, Aristotle laid emphasis on constitutional rule. It was to him consistent with the dignity of the subject, whereas a personal or despotis rule was not. According to Aristotle, the constitutional ruler rules over willing subjects. He rules by consent.
7. Study of Actual States: Aristotle did not like to confine the scope of political science to the construction of the ideal state as it was for Plato. Aristotle wanted that political science should be widened to include a study of the actual states also. Political science should teach the art of governing and organising all types of states good as well as bad.
8. Ethics and Politics: Aristotle divorced politics from ethics and thereby seemed to be most modern. The middle portion of his "Politics" is entirely empirical and moral considerations are put aside. At places his treatment is almost Machiavellian. However, he did not reject the ethical I purpose of the state. Besides the moral end of the state, he included in his new and more general science of politics, "an empirical study of elements of state, both political and social, of actual constitutions, their combination, and the consequences which are bound to follow from these combinations".
9. Definition of Democracy: Aristotle did not agree with the current definition of democracy as the form of government in which the masses are supreme. According to him, democracy is that form of government in which the poor, who constitute the majority, are supreme. It may be defined as the polity based on the principles of civic equality and freedom. To be equal the citizens must all have an equal right to share in the work of government.
10. Three Organs of Government: Aristotle guided the modern political science in analysing the governmental power into three organs-executive, legislative and judicial. However, his three demands of government-deliberative, magistracy and judicial organ can not be completely identified with them. In his theory of separation of powers, Montesquies draw a lot of inspiration from Aristotle.
