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The People vs Aristotle
by Mark Havenner
Bayliff: All
rise. The People versus Aristotle is now in
session, the Honorable Way Things Are
presiding. You may be seated.
Way Things Are: In the case of the People
versus Aristotle, Aristotle is charged with the
Conspiracy to Destroy Human Rights. Okay.
Opening statements, please.
Prosecutor: Good morning Your Honor and
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury. Today you will
see a very clever disguise. You will see a man
heralded as a philosopher and genius. A man
responsible for the wisdom of the west. A man
credited for creating the fields of logic and
philosophy. A man who has guided the
philosophy of the three major western religions.
But it is all a disguise. Before this day is over you
will see Aristotle for what he truly is. An aristocrat
determined to keep Greek rich men the keepers
of wealth and power. You will find that Aristotle is
the man responsible for slavery, tyranny, and
most other human rights violation throughout the
history of the west. This so-called "philosopher" is
nothing more than an elitist wanting to keep
human rights in the gutter. Thank you.
Defense: The prosecution would like you to
believe that Aristotle's views, in some way,
shaped history and so he is somehow
responsible for other people contorting his views
for their own purposes hundreds of years after his
death. The prosecution would like you to believe
that the societies who persecuted lower classes
and revoked the rights of many did only because
Aristotle told them to. Ladies and Gentlemen of
the jury, how can
a man control
people into
mutating his
philosophy after
he has died?
The prosecutors
are trying to find
a convenient
patsy for all the
wrongs in the
world. There are
many who
robbed people of
their human
rights throughout
history. The defense will show that it is not
Aristotle's fault.
Prosecutor: The People call Thomas Aquinas to
the stand.
Bayliff: Thomas Aquinas, to promise to tell the
truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so
help you God?
Thomas Aquinas: I do.
Prosecutor: What is your profession, Mr.
Aquinas?
Thomas Aquinas: I am a priest for the
Dominican Order.
Prosecutor: What do you do for the order?
Thomas Aquinas: I study ancient texts and write
about how we should live in God's Light.
Prosecutor: Do you know Aristotle?
Thomas Aquinas: Yes, I am fond of his work.
Prosecutor: What is your ethical opinion on
slavery?
Thomas Aquinas: Slaves were born
innately to be slaves and so it is
ethical to treat them as they are.
Prosecutor: How do you justify this position
based on what Christ said about treating your
fellow man?
Thomas Aquinas: God has created a natural
order of things and it is immoral to deviate from
nature's laws.
Prosecutor: Where did you find your
philosophical basis for this position on slavery?
Thomas Aquinas:
Aristotle presented
the idea that there
are some born as
natural slaves and
some born naturally
free. If a person
was born with the
reason to become
free then they
naturally would do
so.
Prosecutor: No
further questions.
Defense: Mr. Aquinas, isn't it true that Aristotle
was pagan? And that the Church does not accept
paganism into its doctrine?
Thomas Aquinas: Yes, that is true. However, the
precepts of Aristotle's work describe the natural
truths of the world whereas the Church gives us
the cosmological truths.
Defense: Does the Church practice slavery?
Thomas Aquinas: No, but those within the
Church's influence have.
Defense: In those cases did the Church accept
slavery because of Aristotle?
Thomas Aquinas: Not necessarily, they did so
because they needed to and it was justified with
my work and Aristotle's.
Defense: Didn't Aristotle state that there was
some types of slavery that were innate and some
that were not natural? Didn't Aristotle say that
domestic slavery grown out of tradition and
natural and organ ways fit the innate virtues of
the slave, but slavery by force may not be natural
because the victors would not have time to see
the slave's true virtue? Did you just skip over that
to cram Christianity in there by saying all slaves
were innate?
Prosecutor: Objection! Can we hear from the
witness please?
The Way Things Are:
Overruled. Answer the
question Mr. Aquinas.
Thomas Aquinas: Slavery
by a conquered foe is still just
because by nature they were
too weak to resist the
conquest!
Defense: Is that Aristotle
talking or you? No further
questions, Your Honor.
Prosecutor: The defense
would like to call Socrates to
the stand.
Bayliff: Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth,
the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help
you God?
Socrates: I know no truth, for all perceptions of
truth change upon modifying one's position in
conflict with contrary truths.
The Way Things Are: Come on, Socrates, you
know what we mean. Do you promise not to
intentionally tell a mistruth.
Socrates: I do, but to which God do I swear?
Many intentionally tell non-truths and that is not a
stable moral precept.
The Way Things Are: Swear to your mother for
all I care.
Socrates: Very well.
The Way Thing Are: Prosecution
my proceed.
Prosecutor: How do you know Aristotle?
Socrates: I don't.
Prosecutor: Allow me to rephrase. Do you know
of Aristotle?
Socrates: No.
Prosecutor: Alright, alright. What about Plato?
Socrates: What about Plato . . . yes?
Prosecutor: Do you know Plato?
Defense: Objection! Relevance?
Prosecutor: Plato is the only connection between
Socrates and Aristotle.
The Way Things Are: Overruled, Prosecution
may proceed.
Socrates: Yes, he was my student. One of them.
Prosecutor: Did you talk to Plato about the Royal
Lie?
Socrates: Yes, it was one of my favorite topics.
Prosecutor: What is the Royal Lie?
Socrates: If one assumes that all men are
created equal than we must also assume that
leadership is in place as the result of merit.
However, in our process we also must believe
they have an innate ability to lead. We will
suspend our belief in merit in favor of believing in
an innate ability to lead. There is no such thing,
but it helps us give functional credibility to our
system.
Prosecutor: Is it accurate to think that this Royal
Lie is true? That those in leadership roles do
have an innate ability to lead leaving the rest of
us as naturally inferior?
Socrates: No. It is a lie, but one we must believe
for our society to operate.
Prosecutor: No further questions.
Defense: You admit to having never known
Aristotle.
Socrates: Correct.
Defense: So you don't know his version of the
Royal Lie.
Socrates: I assume it is something like what the
last person articulated.
Defense: Why would we put people into power if
we did not believe they are not naturally
predispositioned for it?
Socrates: Many of us have no control
over our situation and through
politics or deception other people get
into power. If we do not believe the lie
that they are innately good at it, than we
despair. It is easier to believe the lie.
Defense: Assuming
you are wrong. . .
Socrates: I always
assume this.
Defense: Let's
assume you are. If
by virtue of the fact
they did take control
over a city or state
that makes them
naturally fit for it,
does that mean
slaves are naturally
supposed to be
slaves?
Socrates: That is a
leap. There are
cases where slaves
became slaves as
the result of
something outside
their power.
Defense: If someone used that to justify slavery
would you think that is was in line with your
theory?
Socrates: If that was my theory, no. But there are
too many hypotheticals here for me to keep track
of this conversation. Do you always deal in
hypotheticals?
Defense: No further questions.
Prosecutor: The People call Aristotle to the
stand.
Bayliff: Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole
truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Aristotle: The least initial deviation from the truth
is multiplied later a thousandfold.
The Way Things Are: Is that a yes?
Aristotle: Yes.
Prosecutor: What is the Royal Lie?
Aristotle: The idea that
although all men are
created equal we must
believe in a certain amount
of inequality for our political
system to work.
Prosecutor: Do you think
that is true?
Aristotle: No. I believe that
all things rest at their natural
stasis and if there are those
in control of a state they are
superior than those they
conquered, otherwise they
would not have succeeded
in conquering.
Prosecutor: So slavery is
natural?
Defense: Objection!
Leading?
The Way Things Are: Sustained, rephrase
counselor.
Prosecutor: What is the ethics behind slavery?
Aristotle: In a domestic environment when those
involved have had time to settle into their natural
virtues and slavery is present than that is natural.
However, if one conquers a slave they may have
been preemptive and not allowed the chance for
the conquered's true virtue to show and in that
case may be unethical.
Prosecutor: How do you know which is the
case?
Aristotle: Eventually the true virtue is revealed
and those that are not naturally slaves will rise
against their conquerors. Everything moves into
its rightful place: earth sinks in water, air
rises from flame rain falls from the
sky. Slaves will not remain slaves if
they are not meant to be.
Prosecutor: No further questions.
Defense: Aristotle, do you believe that just
because a person is conquered and enslaved
they are naturally inferior.
Aristotle: Not necessarily, it depends on what
their true virtue is.
Defense: If someone used your theory as
support for enslaving whomever they wanted,
would you agree with it?
Aristotle: Not at all.
Defense: So Mr. Aquinas should be on trial and
not you?
Prosecutor: Objection!
The Way Things Are: Sustained, knock it off
counselor.
Defense: No further questions.
The Way Things Are: The people may begin
their closing statement.
Prosecutor: Everyone must take responsibility
for their beliefs. Philosophers who shape the
course of history most of all must do so. Aristotle
said, in direct contrast to his teachers, that some
people were born inferior to others. Whatever "qualifications" he put on that, the truth of his
character was out. And from that day forth
anyone could use his theory, based on the
respect and admiration of his reputation, to
declare that they were inferior.
Aristotle's theories allowed the worst
atrocities in history to be justified: slavery, the
holocaust, countless other genocides, the
treatment of women, xenophobia . . . you name it.
Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, this is
your chance to set it right. Tell the world that
reckless philosophy will not go unchecked. All
men and women are created equal and Aristotle
was wrong. Fatally wrong.
Defense: Aristotle was wrong about a lot of
things. He though the earth was in the center of
the universe. He believed all things were made
up of four quintessential elements. He believed
democracy could not work. And yes, he thought
some people were inferior.
So? Who said Thomas Aquinas could use
that to justify slavery? It wasn't Aristotle's idea to
conduct a slave trade, commit genocide and
otherwise destroy human rights. It was his goal to
justify how things already operated.
To blame Aristotle for the sins of
generations after him would be to blame God for
creating the sin in the first place. Aristotle didn't
know better. The Spaniards, the Portuguese, the
British, the Nazis, the Americans - they all do
know better. Blame the right people. The
defense rests.
The Way Things Are: Has the jury reached a
verdict?
Juror: Yes, we have Your Honor. In the case of
the People versus Aristotle, we the jury find the
defendant guilty on the charge Conspiracy to
Destroy Human Rights.
The Way Things Are: There you have it. From
this day forward, Aristotle will be considered by
The Way Things Are as a naughty philosopher
who ought to think things through more
thoroughly next time.
All impersonations of philosophers were
completely fictional and done with little regard to
their actual character or personalities.
This work by Mark Havenner is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
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