"Hence it is evident that the state is a creation of nature, and that man is by nature a political animal. And he who by nature and not by mere accident is without a state, is either a bad man or above humanity...
"Nature, as we often say, makes nothing in vain, and man is the only animal whom she has endowed with the gift of speech.
"Nature, as we often say, makes nothing in vain, and man is the only animal whom she has endowed with the gift of speech.
"...the power of speech is intended to set forth the expedient and inexpedient, and therefore likewise the just and the unjust. And it is a characteristic of man that he alone has any sense of good and evil, of just and unjust....
"For man, when perfected, is the best of animals, but, when separated from law and justice, he is the worst of all; since armed injustice is the more dangerous, and he is equipped at birth with arms, meant to be used by intelligence and virtue, which he may use for the worst ends. Wherefore, if he have not virtue, he is the most unholy and the most savage of animals,
and the most full of lust and gluttony. But justice is the bond of men in states, for the administration of justice, which is the determination of what is just, is the principle of order in political society." 
2 comments:
Way to go Aritotle. Very cool quote. He misses the truth, however that man IS created in the image of God and has the ability to become godlike....over an eternity (?)He was not home when the mormon missionaries came by.:) He has got the idea, for sure. I also agree that society/civilization helps men become the best they can become in this world.
I like that. The founders studied him and others like him profusely when they were trying to form the best government run by man, possible. (We know the best government is governing by Christ- but he's not here to do that yet. :))
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