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Aristotle on Plato

1. (27) Plurality preferable to unity.

Citizen reciprocity preferable to unified vision.

2. (28) Guardians without personal attachments to persons and things may feel no attachment at all to the state.

People care most about what is their own and free ride with public goods.

3. (29-31) Abolishing family represses natural kinds of emotional attachment. Familial attachments unlikely with everyone in the state. Instead, they will become diluted. Cultivate civic friendship instead. Anyway, managing transfer of children very difficult.

4. (32) Private ownership of property with permissive common use preferable to collective ownership because it provides incentives to produce and protect and means to act virtuously (33). Changing property system will not change people, instead reform souls through education (34).

5. (33) Human individuality and love of self is natural and appropriate. Where is the happiness in all this? (36).

Aristotle on how to philosophize about politics

Inductive generalization on the basis of systematic empirical observations.

Consult history because most everything has already been tried (34).

Focus pragmatically on details (34, 37).

Ideals and perfection are not to be expected (37).

Take seriously pluralism and individuality.

Rule of law preferable to rule of men, i.e. constitutionalism.