Aristotle’s political anthropology was a hedge against economic determinism he himself enabled

Evidence

If the problem Aristotle struggles against—the proximity of household acquisition to other kinds—is one he creates for himself by defending private property, families, and slavery against Plato’s move to abolish them, it is a problem he meets directly. The formulation of man as fundamentally political — meant to live in the polis, share in its rule, deliberate about proper actions and just relations in every sphere of life—is the foundation for handling this problem. — Wendy Brown, Undoing the Demos, 182

Categorization

• QUESTION: Worth chasing: does Brown mean Aristotle’s defense of property/slavery created the very homo-oeconomicus problem he then fought? That’s a striking historical irony to verify against The Politics directly.
• XREF: connects to: Aristotle’s doctrine framed medieval debates justifying or refuting slavery

Broader Connections

• Aristotle’s doctrine framed medieval debates justifying or refuting slavery #complicates (0.72)