Topic > Early political ideas and the concept of subordination

In "Politics" Aristotle provided an explicit rationale for subordination. He suggested that some humans may possess an innate suitability for both slavery and domination, and that those who are enslaved deserve to be enslaved entirely because they have been dominated by a stronger power. Aristotle's justification is based partly on the example of the perceived property of the dominion of the inanimate soul over the body and the dominion of the mind over the appetite. Since these are beneficial ordinations, he argued, it follows that parallel ordinations, such as that of a statesman leading a population and a slave obeying a master, are also beneficial. Furthermore, distinct classes in society, especially housekeepers and manual workers, are believed to possess different skills: one for governance, another for work. Good rulers (i.e. rulers who possess the appropriate skills and qualities for leadership, such as prudence and experience) should be obeyed because they are best suited in society to give orders. Since Aristotle believed that such civic arrangements were for the purpose of common happiness (reaping the benefits of community and the good life) and security, it follows that monarchs and masters should be obeyed to achieve this purpose; in other words, if this is truly an ideal system and a true conception of the nature of man, as Aristotle argued, then obedience to it promotes stability. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Similarly, St. Augustine conceived of peace as a fundamental goal, albeit in an early Christian context. Saint Augustine saw the world as composed of two Cities, one secular and caused by self-love, the other celestial and caused by the love of God. The first is best represented by the Roman Empire, the second by the Christian Church . Both cities are concerned with politics as a means to peace, described by St. Augustine as contentment, security, and joy. But for the earthly city, "peace" does not entail the end of war, but rather a sort of balance of power, an ideal state of relations between itself and the desired neighbor "with a view to the enjoyment of earthly goods". For the heavenly city, peace and joy are desirable, but the ultimate goal is to reach Heaven in the afterlife through the love of God and the avoidance of sin. Both cities involve similar governance structures with rulers and subjects, but in the earthly city, princes and nations “are governed by the love of ruling,” and in the heavenly city, princes and obedient subjects “serve one another in 'Love". By worshiping God, the heavenly city is able to live in peace. Members of the worldly city, meanwhile, achieve peace through war and conquest with the goal of achieving a comfortable state of ownership such that they can enjoy worldly goods, a goal similar to that advocated by Aristotle. It inevitably happens that godly people are dominated by wicked rulers. Saint Augustine explicitly stated that the "domination of bad men harms themselves" by committing immoral and unfaithful acts while those who are subjugated by bad men "are not hurt except by their own iniquities". For this reason the good slave can consider himself free while the bad master can consider himself a slave to his vices; one will inherit Heaven, the other Hell. St. Augustine's arguments lead to the idea that a Christian is totally obligated to worship God, whose laws, and not those of an impious ruler, dictate correct action. St. Augustine suggested that wicked people, as in the Roman republic, are incapable of acting according to (God's) justice and that this.