Commentary on Aristotle's Politics

225 Pages·2007·0.75 MB·English

by  Saint Thomas Aquinas

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Offering the first complete translation into modern English of Aquinas’
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unfinished commentary on Aristotle’s Politics, this edition follows the
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definitive Leonine text of Aquinas and reproduces in English those u
passages of William of Moerbeke’s exacting yet elliptical translation of in
the Politics from which Aquinas worked. Bekker numbers have been a
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added to passages from the Politics for easy reference.
Students of the history of political thought will welcome this study of a
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great classic, a commentary by a student of Aristotle who is also a
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great political theorist in his own right.
Commentary on
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RICHARD J. REGAN is a Research Professor of Political Science, Fordham m
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Also translated by Richard J. Regan
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Aquinas, Treatise on Law
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Aquinas, On Law, Morality, and Politics

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Aquinas, The Cardinal Virtues r
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“Thomas Aquinas is still known in ethics primarily as the quintessential
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theorist of natural law—this despite the fact that his writings on that o
subject are quite meager in comparison to his exhaustive and masterly t
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treatments of the virtues. The result of Richard Regan’s labors is an e
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Introduction to Thomas’ moral philosophy that is much more s

indicative of Thomas’ rich reflections on the moral life than is available P
from the study of his natural law writings alone, making accessible o
Thomas’ insights into the cardinal virtues of prudence, courage, l
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justice, and temperance.” t
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—DOUGLAS KRIES, Gonzaga University c
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ISBN-13: 978-0-87220-869-8
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Richard J. Regan
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T A
HOMAS QUINAS
Commentary on
Aristotle’s Politics
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T A
HOMAS QUINAS
Commentary on
Aristotle’s Politics
Translated by
Richard J. Regan
Hackett Publishing Company, Inc.
Indianapolis/Cambridge
Copyright © 2007 by Hackett Publishing Company, Inc.
All rights reserved
10 09 08 07 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
For further information, please address:
Hackett Publishing Company, Inc.
P.O. Box 44937
Indianapolis, IN 46244-0937
www.hackettpublishing.com
Cover design by Listenberger Design Associates
Interior design by Elizabeth Wilson
Composition by Professional Book Compositors
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Thomas, Aquinas, Saint, 1225?–1274.
Commentary on Aristotle's Politics / Thomas Aquinas ; translated by
Richard J. Regan.
p. cm.
Includes indexes.
ISBN-13:978-0-87220-870-4 (cloth)
ISBN-13:978-0-87220-869-8 (pbk.)
1. Aristotle. Politics. 2. Political science—Early works to 1800.
I. Regan, Richard J. II. Title.
JC71.A7T46 2007
320.01'1—dc22
2006031172
eISBN: 978-1-60384-008-8 (ebook)
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Contents
Preface vii
Abbreviations ix
Prologue 1
Book I 4
Chapter 1: Political Community 4
Chapter 2: Household and Slavery (1) 19
Chapter 3: Slavery (2) 25
Chapter 4: Slavery (3) 32
Chapter 5: Slavery (4) 38
Chapter 6: Property 42
Chapter 7: Moneymaking in Theory (1) 48
Chapter 8: Moneymaking in Theory (2) 54
Chapter 9: Moneymaking in Practice 60
Chapter 10: Family 66
Chapter 11: Craftsmen 74
Book II 78
Chapter 1: Political Unity 78
Chapter 2: Common Wives, Sons, and Property 86
Chapter 3: Common Wives and Sons 90
Chapter 4: Common Property 95
Chapter 5: The First Regime of Socrates 101
Chapter 6: The Second Regime of Socrates (1) 108
Chapter 7: The Second Regime of Socrates (2) 116
Chapter 8: The Regime of Phaleas (1) 121
Chapter 9: The Regime of Phaleas (2) 127
Chapter 10: The Regime of Hippodamus (1) 131
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vi Contents
Chapter 11: The Regime of Hippodamus (2) 134
Chapter 12: The Regime of Hippodamus (3) 139
Chapter 13: The Regime of Sparta (1) 144
Chapter 14: The Regime of Sparta (2) 152
Chapter 15: The Regime of Crete 159
Chapter 16: The Regime of Carthage 166
Chapter 17: Other Regimes 172
Book III 179
Chapter 1: Citizenship 179
Chapter 2: Regime Change 185
Chapter 3: The Virtue of a Good Man and the
Virtue of a Good Citizen 190
Chapter 4: The Virtue of a Good Citizen in
Different Regimes 197
Chapter 5: The End of the Political Community 202
Chapter 6: The Kinds of Just and Unjust Regimes 207
Index ofPersons 212
General Index 213
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Preface
In the 13th century of the Common Era, the translation of Aristotle’s
Politics into Latin made it available to the Latin-based scholars of the West.
In fact, there were two translations. The first is an incomplete transla-
tion (only Book I and most of Book II). The second is a complete translation
(Books I–VIII). William of Moerbeke was the author of the second and
possibly, or probably, the author of the first. Aquinas undoubtedly relied
on the complete translation for his incomplete commentary (Books I, II,
and III up to the end of chapter 6). It is unlikely that Aquinas relied at all
on the incomplete translation and in any case could not have relied on it
for the text of the final chapters of Book II and the first chapters of Book
III. The second translation would not have been available to Aquinas
much or at all before 1260, which is the likely date for Moerbeke’s
complete translation. Thus, the date for Aquinas’ composition of his com-
mentary is almost certainly after that date and probably during his second
sojourn in Paris (1268–1272). I have translated the definitive Leonine edi-
tion of the Commentary on the Politics (Thomas Aquinas, Opera Omnia,
vol. 48 [Rome: Dominican Friars of Santa Sabina, 1971]). That edition in-
cludes the relevant texts of the Politics from Moerbeke’s second (com-
plete) translation.
The relevant Latin text of Aristotle has not been easy to translate. Aris-
totle’s style is famously elliptical, and Moerbeke’s Latin, whether by de-
sign or accident, is the same. For example, the text sometimes omits main
verbs, prepositions are sometimes distant from (and after) their objects,
and relative clauses oddly placed. Moerbeke’s rough Latin style contrasts
sharply with Aquinas’, and I think that Aquinas may have had almost as
much difficulty reading it as I do. I do not note differences between the
Latin and Greek texts of Aristotle, except when I deem them important
and relevant to Aquinas’ commentary. When alternate readings of the
Latin text are possible, I have generally read the text so as to be in accord
with Aquinas’ commentary, but I footnote the other possibility when it re-
flects the usual reading of the Greek text. In the few cases in which I have
been unable to read a text the way Aquinas does, I translate it as I read it
and footnote the difference.
I have relied principally on C.D.C. Reeve’s faithful translation of the
Greek text (Aristotle, Politics [Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Co., 1998]).
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viii Preface
I have also consulted T.A. Sinclair’s translation of the Greek text (Balti-
more: Penguin, 1962). I have not commented on the text of Aristotle. The
reader, however, may consult Reeve’s introduction, notes, glossary, and
bibliography; Trevor J. Saunders’ translation and commentary (Aristotle
Politics: Books I and II[Oxford: Clarendon, 1995]); and Richard Robin-
son’s translation and commentary (Aristotle Politics: Books III and IV
[Oxford: Clarendon, 1995]).
The chapter divisions of the Politics and cited works of Aristotle are
those of Aquinas in this and his other commentaries, not the customary
divisions of the text of Aristotle. (I have, however, supplied the relevant
Bekker citations if the reader wishes to compare the Moerbeke translation
with Aristotle’s text or other translations.) The paragraphs of the text of
Aristotle in each chapter are numbered sequentially and correspond to the
order of Aquinas’ commentary on the text. The same numbers, in bold
type, mark off the corresponding divisions in the commentary. His cita-
tions of the Politics up to Book III, chapter 6, are incorporated into the
text of the commentary in brackets. Other references to the Politics are
footnoted.
I have attempted no commentary on Aquinas’, but several general ob-
servations may be in order. First, Aquinas indicates a good, if occasionally
faulty, understanding of the ancient Greek world. Second, he under-
stands the basic arguments of Aristotle very well. Third, he clarifies and
systematizes the thought of Aristotle, perhaps more than the elliptical text
justifies. Aquinas sticks to explanation of the text but occasionally expands
on it (e.g., on moneymaking) or qualifies it (e.g., on slavery).
This is, to my knowledge, the first English translation of all of Aquinas’
commentary on the Politics. It also has the incidental value of making part of
Moerbeke’s translation of the Politicsavailable and accessible to scholars.
Finally, I wish especially to thank Arthur Madigan, professor of phi-
losophy at Boston College, for his careful reading and scholarly critique of
the manuscript.
Richard J. Regan
Bronx, NY
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Abbreviations
chap., chaps. chapter, chapters
Cor. Corinthians
Eccl. Ecclesiastes
Gen. Genesis
n., nn. paragraph number, numbers
Prov. Proverbs
Sam. Samuel
Sir. Sirach
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