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Aristotle answers Plato's Republic

c. 335–322 BCE, Athens (Lyceum). His own words, in the Politics.

Where and when

c. 335–322 BCEAthens (Lyceum)

about 2,353 years ago

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Aristotle

, Athens (Lyceum)His own words, in the Politics
Answering Socrates, as Plato tells it, c. 431–411 BCEThe law, I said, which is the sequel of this and of all that has preceded, is to the following effect,—‘that the wives of our guardians are to be common, and their…

How we know they are linked: Politics 2.1 names Plato's Commonwealth (the Republic), where Socrates says wives, children and goods should be held in common; 2.2 then objects to Socrates by name.

In plain words, ours

I agree with Socrates that a city should be as united as it can be. But squeeze it too far and it stops being a city: it shrinks to a family, then one person.

Now I also am willing to agree with Socrates in the principle which he proceeds upon, and admit that the city ought to be one as much as possible; and yet it is evident that if it is contracted too much, it will be no longer a city, for that necessarily supposes a multitude; so that if we proceed in this manner, we shall reduce a city to a family, and a family to a single person:

Aristotle, Politics 2.2Translated by William Ellis (1912)Read the full passage (Aristotle, Politics 2.2, opens gutenberg.org)

What was going on, our summary

In the Politics, Aristotle is weighing the plan in Plato's Republic, where Socrates says citizens should hold wives, children and goods in common. Aristotle doubts the plan is reasonable or could work.

Checked claim by claim against: the passage around the quote.

Related moments

In time order, with this one in its place. Each says why it is here.

  1. c. 431–411 BCEabout 93 years earlier Socrates on guardians sharing wives and children Answering Socrates
  2. c. 386 BCEabout 58 years earlier Aspasia's speech on how a state shapes men Also about democracy and government
  3. c. 353 BCEabout 25 years earlier Plato's Seventh Letter on entering public life Also about democracy and government
  4. c. 348/347 BCEabout 19.5 years earlier Plato dies, aged about eighty Also in Athens
  5. 335/334 BCEabout 7 years earlier Aristotle opens his school at the Lyceum Also in Athens
  6. 336–323 BCEDuring it Diogenes meets Alexander Same years
  7. 334–323 BCEDuring it Alexander writes to Aristotle Same years
  8. c. 335–322 BCEThis momentAristotle answers Plato's Republic
  9. c. 335–322 BCEDuring it Aristotle on being angry the right way More from Aristotle
  10. c. 335–322 BCEDuring it Aristotle on what is held in common Same passage
  11. c. 335–322 BCEDuring it Aristotle on becoming just by just acts More from Aristotle
  12. c. 335–322 BCEDuring it Aristotle on one swallow and happiness More from Aristotle
  13. 323 BCEabout 4.5 years later Alexander dies in Babylon Same years
  14. c. 324–321 BCEabout 5 years later Diogenes the Cynic dies in Corinth Same years
  15. by 323 BCEabout 5 years later Diogenes makes a tub his home Also in Athens

Just before and after

The text around the quote, word for word from the same translation.

Show the passageHide the passage

But in a government which is to be well founded, will it be best to admit of a community in everything which is capable thereof, or only in some particulars, but in others not? for it is possible that the citizens may have their wives, and children, and goods in common, as in Plato's Commonwealth; for in that Socrates affirms that all these particulars ought to be so. Which then shall we prefer? the custom which is already established, or the laws which are proposed in that treatise? Now as a community of wives is attended with many other difficulties, so neither does the cause for which he would frame his government in this manner seem agreeable to reason, nor is it capable of producing that end which he has proposed, and for which he says it ought to take place; nor has he given any particular directions for putting it in practice.

The quote: Now I also am willing to agree with Socrates in the principle which he proceeds upon, and admit that the city ought to be one as much as possible; and yet it is evident that if it is contracted too much, it will be no longer a city, for that necessarily supposes a multitude; so that if we proceed in this manner, we shall reduce a city to a family, and a family to a single person:

Aristotle, Politics 2.1–2Translated by William Ellis (1912)Read the full passage (opens gutenberg.org)

When, and whose words

Date
c. 335–322 BCE. His works are hard to date; they are usually placed in his Lyceum years in Athens, 335–322 BCE.
Whose words
His own words, in the Politics. Who was Aristotle?
How this post was checked
  • The plain-words line was read against the quote alone by a second, independent pass, which found it adds no claim the quote does not make (2026-10-03).
  • Each claim in the summary was checked by an independent pass against only the material it cites.
  • The quote itself is checked by the build: word for word, once, at the cited section of the stored translation.

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