Politics can be defined as broadly or as narrowly as you like. I believe that to understand politics, you need to consider the broad definition.
The idea of a "public" and a "private" sphere is introduced to us in the reading. The suggested notion here is that public refers to governance, the work place etc. However the private refers to the household and domestic life. It is at home where we believe we enter a "politics free" zone. However as Aristotle says "Man is by nature, a political animal" , therefore there is no place where we as human beings don't use the tools of politics and the concept of power to get our way.
This idea roots from the fact that we all grow up in a system that has an obvious hierarchy of power. We aspire to move up this hierarchy, and possibly gain power over those who exert power over us. As children this would mean engaging your 'cute' factor to get an extra piece of chocolate and as an employee this would translate to presenting yourself as more responsible and hardworking.
In today's competitive world, all people are in a race to see who gets ahead. In this constant power struggle (which begins at such an early age), people have become political beings. They plan their way up the ladder and make sure they don't loose their footing. This evolution in human life, has in a way, destroyed the social fabric in which we live. It may have been possible to claim that people aren't entirely political a few years ago, but this statement does not hold today. Politics is now the game in which we try to get ahead in the power structures that exist, be it at home or at work.
Therefore when Aristotle says that people are political beings, he is correct. You cannot separate politics from the either spheres of life. Politics exists everywhere and has now become a part of the society we live in.
The idea of a "public" and a "private" sphere is introduced to us in the reading. The suggested notion here is that public refers to governance, the work place etc. However the private refers to the household and domestic life. It is at home where we believe we enter a "politics free" zone. However as Aristotle says "Man is by nature, a political animal" , therefore there is no place where we as human beings don't use the tools of politics and the concept of power to get our way.
This idea roots from the fact that we all grow up in a system that has an obvious hierarchy of power. We aspire to move up this hierarchy, and possibly gain power over those who exert power over us. As children this would mean engaging your 'cute' factor to get an extra piece of chocolate and as an employee this would translate to presenting yourself as more responsible and hardworking.
In today's competitive world, all people are in a race to see who gets ahead. In this constant power struggle (which begins at such an early age), people have become political beings. They plan their way up the ladder and make sure they don't loose their footing. This evolution in human life, has in a way, destroyed the social fabric in which we live. It may have been possible to claim that people aren't entirely political a few years ago, but this statement does not hold today. Politics is now the game in which we try to get ahead in the power structures that exist, be it at home or at work.
Therefore when Aristotle says that people are political beings, he is correct. You cannot separate politics from the either spheres of life. Politics exists everywhere and has now become a part of the society we live in.
3 comments:
There appears to be a contradiction in your statements. On the one hand, you argue that:
"This evolution in human life, has in a way, destroyed the social fabric in which we live. It may have been possible to claim that people aren't entirely political a few years ago, but this statement does not hold today."
But then you go back centuries to use Aristotle as justification for why human beings are political animals. So which way is it? Have human beings always been political animals, or is this a new phenomena entrenched in our hyper-competitive societies that you describe?
You mentioned, 'Politics is now the game in which we try to get ahead in the power structures that exist.'
Is politics all about getting ahead in the hierarchy of power? Does social interaction and dealing with power dynamics not involve politics irrespective of whether or not an individual acquires more power in the social structure? Even within the practice of politics, there might be conflicts and they may be resolved in a way that is not equally beneficial to all parties.
Humans have become more political animals in the society we live in today. The competitive world have made us want to have control over the power structure.
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