ARISTOTLE'S «POLITICS» AS A SOURCE OF CRISIS OF GREEK POLIS RESEARCH

Abstract

The article analyzes Aristotle's judgments regarding historical facts and events in Ancient Greece in IV century B.C., which later received the name «the crisis of Greek polis». During his life, Aristotle witnessed many vicissitudes and phenomena in Greek polises, which were reflected in his work «Politics» Based on the text of the work Aristotle's views on the components of successful functioning of the state, his understanding of the concepts of freedom and citizenship, features of citizenship in democratic states were examined. It is noted that Aristotle paid great attention to such concepts as justice and respect for the law, which could be implemented in a democratic state. The author of «Politics» focused on new tendences that appeared in Greek polises, in particular, in the newly created «radical democracies», where public decrees, and not the law, became decisive. The article analyzes Aristotle's attitude to a new phenomenon in the life of the polises – the influence of demagogues on public opinion and their methods of activity. It is noted that using various methods of influencing the demos, demagogues led to riots and coups to gain power, arguing that it is the will of the people. As an object of special attention the author of «Politics» regarded professional qualities of managers and theirs financial abuses in the positions held. It is noted that, by means of illegal actions, managers, foreigners and meteks received the rights of citizenship and influenced the life of the state. According to Aristotle, these tendencies disturbed the society, promoted permissiveness and encouraged their moral decline. It was noted that a significant role in the destruction of the traditional solidarity of polises was attributed to growing property inequality, which formed new relationship – a society of masters and slaves, not an association of freemen. Aristotle believed that such a situation could be corrected by the presence of financially secure layers of population, that is the middle class, where the social balance in polises could be guaranteed by their political power.