The Role of the Politician as Thought by Aristotle and How it Applies Today in the United States of America

The Role of the Politician as Thought by Aristotle and How It Applies Today In the United States of America

Before I begin my essay on Aristotle’s view of the role of the politician and how it applies today, let me explain why I felt the need to choose this topic. Before learning about Aristotle and his views on life, I of course had opinions of my own on many different subjects. One of the most important subjects that I have been contemplating over the last few years is the United States Government. After learning about Aristotle and his views on politicians and the state itself, I came to the conclusion that he was correct about a great number of ideas and that our government is no longer the government that we as a country had wanted it to be. It no longer stands for all those things that our Declaration of Independence talks about such as; all men were created equal, and the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Aristotle was a wise man, a philosopher, a man of virtue, and a man that believed in utilitarianism. In this essay, I will discuss his view on politicians and how it can be applied in this day and age to our own government in this country.
Aristotle believed “the State exists for the sake of the good life” (Allan 142). The state is what we would now refer to as the government. What he expresses about the state can be explained by the following quote, “For while it is satisfactory to acquire and preserve the good even for an individual, it is finer and more divine to acquire and preserve it for a people and for cities.” (Aristotle 526). To allow you to understand this in simplified terms, he is expressing that the politician therefore is not only responsible for the well being of his own soul and his own needs, but also responsible for the souls and the needs of all the people. Politicians are not in their elected offices to better life for a select group, but instead the politicians are there to represent the people as a whole and make the best decisions for the greatest number of people that he or she possibly can. I believe this perspective to be the absolute truth about the way a politician should perform while in office.

Aristotle also believed that an ideal state or political community should be made up of citizens that are equal. In other words, he thought that despite the financial status of any one individual, their personal beliefs, or even the color of their skin, that everyone should have the opportunities to govern and be governed, so that no one class or group would be above the others. Instead there would be a harmony between the groups and everyone would have the same opportunities for education and happiness as well (Veatch 119-120).Unfortunately, the way that the United States Government is set up, it is almost impossible for a poor or middle-class citizen to become elected into any political position, especially those that are at the federal levels.
In today’s society, I believe that Aristotle would be against the United States Government. I believe that there is no sense of utilitarianism in this country any more. Today politicians are more corrupt than ever. They are paid by lobbyist to vote one way or the other, instead of making their decisions based upon what would be the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Most politicians are no more than puppets dancing for the highest bidder. They will vote which ever way they are told once a group has contributed enough money to their campaign. The politicians do this and only look out for what is in their own best interest.

These statements may seem un-American or stereotypical even, but this can easily be seen when you look at such things as the economy in the United States of America. Today 80% of the wealth in the United States of America is controlled by 20% of the population (Professor Bergon). This means that the gap between the middle class and the upper class is widening. This also means much lower standards of living for the 80% of the population in this country. Today there are over 35.9 million citizens living in poverty (Census 3). In this country we could produce enough food to feed all of the starving people and create homes and jobs for them, but instead the problem is either ignored or overlooked by the rich politicians that run our country. There is little to no action being done to help these people. Are they not as human as you or I and do they not deserve the same opportunities as well?
In many other countries around the world healthcare is provided by the government. In the United States of America it is not. Instead it is left up to the employers or the individuals. In 2003 there were 40 million Americans or 15.6% of our population without health insurance (Census 5).

I can hear the voice of Aristotle saying “to know and not to do is to not know at all” (Aristotle). In this great country of ours, will we just sit back and complain about the way things are, or instead will we take action and correct the wrong doings by the politicians that are supposed to do what is best for the greatest number of people? If we choose to sit back and do nothing about this then we have learned nothing from Aristotle. In addition, everything that our forefathers fought for was a wasted effort and we are as much to blame for taking no action, as those that govern us. It is not enough to have knowledge; we must take action and change this country for the better! Only as a united group of concerned citizens, that are morally just can we make a difference.

How can we make a difference? The first step is to get out there and vote. There were enough people that did not vote in the last election that if they had all voted for a citizen that was capable of running for president and was a utilitarian, he or she could have been elected. The silent majority are those that are being hurt the most and they feel that they can not make a difference. This is just one major reason why things are only getting worse in this country. Second, help someone out yourself. If everyone helped just one person to get on their feet and give them an opportunity and then they did the same in return for someone else; we could start to eliminate homelessness and poverty. This would be a great example of the feel-good do-good theory that is taught in philosophy. To simply explain this it means that when someone feels good about themselves or if someone has helped them out, they are more likely to act in a good and generous manner towards others.

If you have not learned anything else from reading this, just remember the following; “No man is an island. No man can stand alone.”(Mann). Only as a united people or state can we just as our forefathers make a difference and change this country for the better. This time our enemy is not an English King, but instead, it is the people who we have elected to govern our society and change it for the better. Instead most of these politicians have made the unethical choice of looking out for themselves and other select groups, instead of bettering life for the majority of the people.