What does this quote...?

Question

mean to you?
what do you think the author is trying to get you to think about?

"Man, by nature, is a political animal"

I found it and was like.. HMM, i wonder what others think about this :)

Answer 1

That's the beginning of Aristotle's Politics.

A "political animal" means an animal whose nature is to live in a polis or city, not isolated or in small groups. "Civilization" (from Latin civitas, a city) is the natural state for the human animal. It is the natural state not in the sense that it is the original state, but in the sense that the natural goal of human development is life in cities. This is a rejection of the idea common at the time, and since, that civilization is artificial, conventional, unnatural.
Ihttp://www.humanities.mq.edu.au/Ockham/y6704.html

Here's the quote in context:
When several villages are united in a single complete community, large enough to be nearly or quite self-sufficing, the state comes into existence, originating in the bare needs of life, and continuing in existence for the sake of a good life. And therefore, if the earlier forms of society are natural, so is the state, for it is the end of them, and the nature of a thing is its end. For what each thing is when fully developed, we call its nature, whether we are speaking of a man, a horse, or a family. Besides, the final cause and end of a thing is the best, and to be self-sufficing is the end and the best.

Hence it is evident that the state is a creation of nature, and that man is by nature a political animal. And he who by nature and not by mere accident is without a state, is either a bad man or above humanity; he is like the

Tribeless, lawless, hearthless one,

whom Homer denounces -- the natural outcast is forthwith a lover of war; he may be compared to an isolated piece at draughts.
http://www.constitution.org/ari/polit_01.htm

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Cheers,
Bruce

Answer 2

Politics is social interaction. Politics is power. Humans are social animals just like dogs. Everyone takes their place in society, leaders and followers. If you put 20 people on an island, eventually one person will be in charge provided the island is small enough and resources are limited. The social structure will be a fluid hierarchy much like a pack of wild dogs..without the butt sniffing ..hopefully..wait ..there might be something to the butt sniffing

Answer 3

It is a quote about the statistic that 99.9% of Americans will run for political office in their lifetime. We can't help it we all just want to be in charge!

Answer 4

meaning that people crave politics.