Sunday, May 22, 2011

On #Aristotle Ethicas: Practical Wisdom in Politics

Again, that is thought to be practical wisdom in the most proper sense which has for its object the interest of the individual: and this usually appropriates the common name: the others are called respectively Domestic Management, Legislation, Executive Government divided into two branches, Deliberative and Judicial.  Now, of course, knowledge for one's self is one kind of knowledge, but it admits of many shades of difference: and it is a common notion that the man who knows and busies himself about his own concerns merely is the man of practical wisdom, while they who extend their solicitude to society at large are considered meddlesome.

I am guessing that in Aristotle's time, these people used to be chosen because of their wisdom, however, today our legislators have knowledge of management, and get chosen only because they are either the lesser of two evils, or because they trick a dumb downed populace to vote for them.

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