Project Gutenberg #6762
Politics: A Treatise on Government
Aristotle
350 BCEAristotle's treatise on constitutions and civic life, prepared introduction plus book-and-chapter sections from Project Gutenberg plaintext.
Project Gutenberg #6762 Public domain in the United States Cover source Local typographic cover created for MojiMori from public-domain source metadata
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AI Summary
Chapter 11 — Book I, Chapter X Central question Whose business is money-making: the householder's or the state's? Main argument Aristotle clarifies that the household manager must understand acquisition, but only...
We have now determined what was before doubtful, whether or no the art
of getting money is his business who is at the head of a family or a
state, and though not strictly so, it is however very necessary; for
as a politician does not make men, but receiving them from the hand of
nature employs them to proper purposes; thus the earth, or the sea, or
something else ought to supply them with provisions, and this it is the
business of the master of the family to manage properly; for it is not
the weaver's business to make yarn, but to use it, and to distinguish
what is good and useful from what is bad and of no service; and indeed
some one may inquire why getting money should be a part of economy when
the art of healing is not, as it is as requisite that the family should
be in health as that they should eat, or have anything else which is
necessary; and as it is indeed in some particulars the business both of
the master of the family, and he to whom the government of the state
is entrusted, to see after the health of those under their care, but in
others not, but the physician's; so also as to money; in some respects
it is the business of the master of the family, in others not, but of
the servant; but as we have already said, it is chiefly nature's, for
it is her part to supply her offspring with food; for everything finds
nourishment left for it in what produced it; for which reason
the natural riches of all men arise from fruits and animals. Now
money-making, as we say, being twofold, it may be applied to two
purposes, the service of the house or retail trade; of which the first
is necessary and commendable, the other justly censurable; for it has
not its origin in [1258b] nature, but by it men gain from each other;
for usury is most reasonably detested, as it is increasing our fortune
by money itself, and not employing it for the purpose it was originally
intended, namely exchange.
And this is the explanation of the name (TOKOS), which means the
breeding of money. For as offspring resemble their parents, so usury
is money bred of money. Whence of all forms of money-making it is most
against nature.