Bloomsbury Rewriting Contemporary Political Theory with Plato and Aristotle: An Essay on Eudaimonic Politics

Many contemporary philosophers today focus on developing theories to justify the political societies that exist today. But as the distribution of wealth becomes ever more disproportionate, can these current political theories be just? Drawing on ancient philosophy and the contemporary theories of Robert Nozick and John Rawls, Paul Schollmeier presents a philosophy of what a political society in our era ought to be. Applying the concepts and principles of Plato and Aristotle to contemporary problems, Schollmeier sets out a new theory based on engagement in political activity primarily for the sake of itself, not for profit or pleasure. Employing the ancient principle of happiness, Schollmeier introduces the concept of a eudaimonic polity. He argues that we can best exercise our political nature when we participate together with others in political activity without an ulterior motive. Not to engage in activity of this kind is also to deny our nature, and it quickly leads to competitive conduct and conflict over limited resources both social and natural. By arguing for a re-conception of the state as constituting political happiness, this original study of contemporary political philosophy present a strong case for supporting a eudaimonic polity over those current political theories which privilege the individual over society.