On Aristotle: Saving Politics from Philosophy (Liveright Classics)
Ryan (On Politics, 2012) presents a compact and accessible introduction to Aristotle, whose thought, together with that of his teacher Plato, constitutes the bedrock of much of Western civilization. Though Aristotle wrote broadly on all sorts of subjects—his influence on science alone is profound—Ryan’s focus is on his political thought, where his influence is no less dramatic. In part, Ryan’s project is to redeem Aristotle’s political thought for modern audiences, who may be put off by the messiness and inaccessibility of his works, as well as Aristotle’s premodern opinions on slavery, women, and the inherent justice of societal hierarchy. And yet, as Ryan reminds us, though Aristotle’s conceptions of a free society and political freedom are not the same as ours today, they are not entirely different from ours either, and his fundamental concern—how to live a good life in society—remains a pressing question today. Ryan’s erudite and engaging introduction is followed by substantial extracts from Aristotle’s political works, making this text ideal for classroom use. A similar work by Ryan on Machiavelli is reviewed below. --Brendan Driscoll