Sources in Conversation: Political Philosophy

The same probing, rational spirit that led Greek thinkers and philosophers to delve into nature’s laws, to seek the fundamental substances and patterns that shaped the cosmos, led them to examine their own governments — to ask what forms states took, what ties bound the inhabitants of a state together, and why one state was better than another. The exploration and articulation of political philosophy took many forms, and its practitioners reached a variety of conclusions. Such efforts were, however, bound together by a shared interest in discovering the relationship between the organization of the state on the one hand, and the level of prosperity, achievement, and social harmony achieved by the state on the other. As you read these three examples of Greek political philosophy, ask yourself what common values and beliefs, if any, they share.