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Politics
9Aristotle
The first systematic treatise of political science — Aristotle classified the constitutions, defined the regime types, and set the agenda for every later political thinker.
GBM Assessment (Score: 9/10)
Aristotle's Politics is the foundation of political science as a discipline, establishing the famous dictum that "man is a political animal" and providing the first systematic classification of political regimes. Its analysis of constitutions, citizenship, and the purpose of the state set the terms for political thought that endure to this day.
The Politics influenced a succession of the most important political thinkers in Western history, including Thomas Aquinas, Niccolò Machiavelli, Montesquieu, and the American Founders. Its framework for understanding different forms of government and their susceptibility to corruption remains central to the study of political science worldwide.
Philosophy's Golden Age, c. 400-300 BC
Plato founds the Academy (387 BC) and writes his dialogues. Aristotle founds the Lyceum and systematizes every field. In China, the Dao De Jing emerges during the Warring States period. Alexander conquers from Greece to India, spreading Greek culture. Euclid compiles his Elements in Ptolemaic Alexandria. The Hellenistic age begins.
Awards & Adaptations
Core in political science worldwide.
Recommended Edition
H. Rackham (Loeb 1932); B. Jowett (1885)
