8. The Mixed Regime and the Rule of Law: Aristotle's Politics, IV

Introduction to Political Philosophy (PLSC 114)

The lecture discusses Aristotle's comparative politics with a special emphasis on the idea of the regime, as expressed in books III through VI in Politics. A regime, in the context of this major work, refers to both the formal enumeration of rights and duties within a community as well as to the distinctive customs, manners, moral dispositions and sentiments of that community. Aristotle asserts that it is precisely the regime that gives a people and a city their identity.

00:00 - Chapter 1. Introduction: Aristotle's Comparative Politics and the Idea of the Regime
01:45 - Chapter 2. What Is a Regime?
13:58 - Chapter 3. What Are the Structures and Institutions of the Regime?
20:30 - Chapter 4. The Democratic Regime
34:35 - Chapter 5. Law, Conflict and the Regime
43:07 - Chapter 6. The Aristotelian Standard of Natural Right or Natural Justice

Complete course materials are available at the Open Yale Courses website: http://open.yale.edu/courses

This course was recorded in Fall 2006.