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Aristotle · Aristotelean Divisions §A.1_col1-A.3_col1

Divisions of Goods, Friendship, and Constitutions

Passage 1 of 19 · Greek

Summary

Presents the divisions traditionally associated with Aristotle regarding the types and definitions of goods, friendships, and constitutions.

§A.1_col1## τὰ ἀγαθά. : διῄρει δέ, φησὶν Ἀριστοτέλης, καὶ τὰ πράγματα τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον: τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἔστι τὰ μὲν ἐν ψυχῇ, τὰ δὲ ἐν σώματι, τὰ δὲ ἐκτός· οἷον ἡ μὲν δικαιοσύνη καὶ ἡ φρόνησις καὶ ἡ ἀνδρεία καὶ ἡ σωφροσύνη καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐν ψυχῇ· τὸ δὲ κάλλος καὶ ἡ εὐεξία καὶ ἡ ὑγίεια καὶ ἡ ἰσχὺς ἐν σώματι· οἱ δὲ φίλοι καὶ ἡ τῆς πατρίδος εὐδαιμονία καὶ ὁ πλοῦτος ἐν τοῖς ἐκτός. | τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἄρα τρία εἴδη ἐστί: τὰ μὲν ἐν ψυχῇ, τὰ δὲ ἐν σώματι, τὰ δὲ ἐκτός.
## Goods.: And he was dividing, says Aristotle, also things in this manner: of goods, some are in the soul, some in the body, and some external; for example, justice, prudence, courage, temperance, and such things are in the soul; beauty, good conditioning, health, and strength are in the body; and friends, the happiness of the homeland, and wealth are among the external things. | Therefore, of goods there are three kinds: those in the soul, those in the body, and those external.
§A.5_col2## τὰ ἀγαθά.
## Goods.
διαιρεῖται τὰ ἀγαθὰ εἰς τρία.
Goods are divided into three.
ἔστι γὰρ αὐτῶν τὰ μὲν ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ, τὰ δὲ ἐν σώματι, τὰ δὲ ἐκτός.
For of them, some are in the soul, some in the body, and some external.
ἔστι δὲ τὰ μὲν ἐν ψυχῇ φρόνησις δικαιοσύνη ἀνδρεία σωφροσύνη καὶ τὰ ἄλλα τὰ τοιαῦτα, τὰ δὲ ἐν σώματι ἰσχὺς κάλλος ὑγεία εὐεξία καὶ τὰ ἄλλα τὰ τοιαῦτα, τὰ δὲ ἐκτὸς φίλοι πλοῦτος εὐδοξία πατρίδος εὐδαιμονία.
And those in the soul are prudence, justice, courage, temperance, and other such things; those in the body are strength, beauty, health, good conditioning, and other such things; and those external are friends, wealth, good reputation, and the happiness of the homeland.
τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἄρα τὰ μέν ἐστιν ἐν ψυχῇ, τὰ δὲ ἐν σώματι, τὰ δὲ ἐκτός.
Therefore, of goods, some are in the soul, some in the body, and some external.
§A.2_col1## ἡ φιλία.
## Friendship.
τῆς φιλίας τρία εἴδη ἐστίν· ἡ μὲν γὰρ αὐτῆς ἐστι φυσική, ἡ δὲ ἑταιρική, ἡ δὲ ξενική.
There are three kinds of friendship: for some of it is natural, some companionate, and some of guest-friendship.
φυσικὴν μὲν οὖν ταύτην λέγομεν, ἣν οἱ γονεῖς πρὸς τὰ ἔκγονα ἔχουσι καὶ οἱ συγγενεῖς πρὸς ἀλλήλους· ταύτην δὲ κεκλήρωται καὶ τἆλλα ζῷα.
Now, we call natural that which parents have toward their offspring and relatives toward one another; and the other animals also have been allotted this.
ἑταιρικὴν δὲ καλοῦμεν τὴν ἀπὸ συνηθείας γινομένην καὶ μηδὲν προσήκουσαν γένει, ἀλλ’ οἷον ἡ Πυλάδου πρὸς Ὀρέστην.
And we call companionate that which arises from intimacy and has nothing to do with kinship, but is like that of Pylades toward Orestes.
ἡ δὲ ξενικὴ φιλία ἡ ἀπὸ συστάσεως καὶ διὰ γραμμάτων γινομένη πρὸς τοὺς ξένους.
And guest-friendship is that which arises from introduction and through letters toward guests.
τῆς ἄρα φιλίας ἡ μέν ἐστι φυσική, ἡ δὲ ἑταιρική, ἡ δὲ ξενική· προστιθέασι δέ τινες τετάρτην ἐρωτικήν.
Therefore, of friendship, some is natural, some companionate, and some of guest-friendship; but some people add a fourth, erotic friendship.
§A.58_col2## ἡ φιλία.
## Friendship.
διαιρεῖται ἡ φιλία εἰς τέσσάρα· ἔστι γὰρ αὐτῆς ἡ μὲν συγγενική, ἡ δὲ ἑταιρική, ἡ δὲ ξενική, ἡ δὲ ἐρωτική.
Friendship is divided into four: for of it, some is familial, some companionate, some of guest-friendship, and some erotic.
ἔστι δὲ ἡ μὲν συγγενικὴ οἷον πατὴρ πρὸς υἱοὺς καὶ ἀδελφοὶ πρὸς ἀδελφοὺς καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι οἱ οἰκεῖοι, ἡ δὲ ἑταιρικὴ ᾗ κοινωνοῦσιν οἱ διὰ συνήθειαν φίλοι γινόμενοι, ἡ δὲ ξενικὴ ἡ διὰ γραμμάτων καὶ συστάσεως ποιοῦσα φίλους, ἡ δὲ ἐρωτικὴ ἡ δι’ ἐπιθυμίαν τῆς τῶν καλῶν φιλίας κοινωνίαν παρασκευάζουσα.
And the familial is, for example, father toward sons, and brothers toward brothers, and the other relatives; the companionate is that in which those who have become friends through intimacy share; the guest-friendship is that which makes friends through letters and introduction; and the erotic is that which, through desire for beautiful things, prepares a partnership of friendship.
§A.3_col1## ἡ πολιτεία.
## Constitutions.
τῆς πολιτείας ἐστὶν εἴδη πέντε· τὸ μὲν γὰρ αὐτῆς ἐστι δημοκρατικόν, ἄλλο δὲ ἀριστοκρατικόν, τρίτον δὲ ὀλιγαρχικόν, τέταρτον βασιλικόν, πέμπτον τυραννικόν.
There are five kinds of constitution: for some of it is democratic, another aristocratic, a third oligarchic, a fourth monarchical, and a fifth tyrannical.
δημοκρατικὸν μὲν οὖν ἐστιν, ἐν αἷς πόλεσι κρατεῖ τὸ πλῆθος καὶ τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ τοὺς νόμους δι’ ἑαυτοῦ αἱρεῖται· ἀριστοκρατία δέ ἐστιν, ἐν ᾗ μήθ’ οἱ πλούσιοι μήθ’ οἱ πένητες μήθ’ οἱ ἔνδοξοι ἄρχουσιν, ἀλλ’ οἱ ἄριστοι τῆς πόλεως προστατοῦσιν.
Now, democratic is in those cities where the multitude holds power and chooses the offices and the laws by itself; and aristocracy is in which neither the rich nor the poor nor the renowned rule, but the best of the city take the lead.
ὀλιγαρχία δέ ἐστιν, ὅταν ἀπὸ τιμημάτων αἱ ἀρχαὶ αἱρῶνται· ἐλάττους γάρ εἰσιν οἱ πλούσιοι τῶν πενήτῶν.
And oligarchy is when the offices are chosen based on property assessments; for the rich are fewer than the poor.
τῆς δὲ βασιλείας ἡ μὲν κατὰ νόμον, ἡ δὲ κατὰ γένος ἐστίν.
And of kingship, some is according to law, and some according to lineage.
ἡ μὲν οὖν ἐν Καρχηδόνι κατὰ νόμον· πωλητὴ γάρ ἐστιν. | ἡ δὲ ἐν Λακεδαίμονι καὶ Μακεδονίᾳ κατὰ γένος· ἀπὸ γάρ τινος γένους ποιοῦνται τὴν βασιλείαν.
Now, that in Carthage is according to law; for it is purchasable. | On the other hand, that in Lacedaemon and Macedonia is according to lineage; for they establish the kingship from a certain lineage.
τυραννὶς δέ ἐστιν, ἐν ᾗ παρακρουσθέντες ἢ βιασθέντες ὑπό τινος ἄρχονται.
And tyranny is in which people, having been deceived or forced by someone, are ruled.
τῆς ἄρα πολιτείας ἡ μέν ἐστι δημοκρατία, ἡ δὲ ἀριστοκρατία, ἡ δὲ ὀλιγαρχία, ἡ δὲ βασιλεία, ἡ δὲ τυραννίς.
Therefore, of constitution, some is democracy, some aristocracy, some oligarchy, some kingship, and some tyranny.

Notes

  1. §A.1_col1διῄρει — Third-person singular imperfect active of the verb διαιρέω (to divide). The subject is implicitly Plato, or a general 'he' (the divider), introduced as being reported by Aristotle (φησὶν Ἀριστοτέλης).
  2. §A.2_col1κεκλήρωται — Third-person singular perfect middle/passive of the verb κληρόω (to allot). Here it functions as a middle voice taking a direct object in the accusative (ταύτην), or as a passive where one of the double accusatives is retained. The subject is the following καὶ τἆλλα ζῷα (the other animals also).
  3. §A.3_col1πωλητή — Feminine singular nominative of the verbal adjective πωλητός (purchasable, saleable), serving as a predicate adjective referring to the kingship in Carthage (ἡ μὲν οὖν ἐν Καρχηδόνι [βασιλεία]). It corresponds to the historical observation (found in Aristotle's Politics) that offices in Carthage were purchasable.
  4. §A.3_col1παρακρουσθέντες ἢ βιασθέντες — Both are aorist passive participles in the masculine plural nominative, agreeing with the unexpressed subject (the citizens or people) of the third-person plural verb ἄρχονται (they are ruled). They function as participles of means or attendant circumstance ('having been deceived or forced').

Cite this passage

Aristotle, Aristotelean Divisions §A.1_col1-A.3_col1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0086.tlg048.humanitext-grc1:A.1_col1-A.3_col1

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