Politics (Barnes & Noble Library of Essential Reading) 

Aristotles
Politics is one of the earliest, and at the same time one of the most thorough and balanced, accounts of politics. It provides extended analyses of the origin and function of the state; the proper distribution of political power among the branches of government; a classification of the different types of regime; the reasons why the different regimes fail and how to prevent such failure; and, in general, the principal details of practical politics. In this respect, it is a primer on government as valuable today as it was when first written.



The greatest contribution of the
Politics, however, lies in its establishment of the fundamental principles underlying these details-the political significance of human nature and rationality; the relation of the human good to the political good; the critical difference between politics and economics; and the true justification for political authority and power. At the very least, Aristotles
Politics is a reminder that government, both in theory and practice, needs to have its foundation and justification in broader understandings of man, of nature, and of the purpose of political life.

About the author

Born in 384 BC in Stagira, Macedonia, Aristotle was the son of a physician in the royal court. At a young age, he went to study at Platos Academy, where he began to develop many of the ideas that would become a part of his philosophical, scientific, and political systems. Aristotles philosophy has shaped the thinking of writers for centuries. His writings are among the most profound expression of the thinking of the classical Greek era.