Does being a good person automatically make you a good citizen? In this episode, I dive into one of Aristotle’s most important distinctions between moral virtue and political virtue. You can be honest, kind, and just, yet still fail the test of citizenship. Why?

Aristotle claims that the real citizen is someone who takes part in deliberation and decision-making in the community. That means power, participation, and free time to to engage in politics. So where does that leave others?

This is Aristotle at his most precise and provocative.

Politics, Book III, Chapters 1–5

Chapters:

(00:00) Introduction to Citizenship in Aristotle's Politics

(06:11) Practical Observations on Citizenship

(12:54) Good Citizen vs. Good Person

(22:10) The Virtue of Citizenship

Sparta was worshipped, by both ancient and modern admirers. But what if the truth behind the myth is weaker, even a little absurd?

In this episode, I go deep into Aristotle’s breakdown of Sparta. A regime that trained its men for war, ignored its women, enslaved its workforce, and collapsed the moment peace arrived.

I also explore what Aristotle thought about Crete, Carthage, and the lawgivers who tried and often failed to build the perfect city.

I also talk about Aristotle's criticism of his contemporary thinkers from Plato’s Republic to Phaleas of Chalcedon

Aristotle's Politics Book II, Chapters 6–12

Chapters:

(00:00) Introduction

(02:49) Critique of Plato / Socrates

(11:35) Understanding Conflict and Crime in Society

(20:35) Further Critique of Utopian Thinkers

(23:00) Lessons from Sparta, Crete, and Carthage

What if the perfect society is actually a trap?

In this episode, I dive into Book II of Aristotle’s Politics, where he dissects Plato’s idea of a utopia, shared property, shared families, total unity. On the surface, it sounds noble. But Aristotle peels back the layers and asks: what happens when everyone owns everything... and no one owns anything?

I talk about why radical equality might backfire, why too much unity can destroy what makes a city work, and how the push for perfection often ends in dysfunction.

Watch if you’ve ever questioned whether perfection is worth chasing.

From the “Politics” Book II, Chapters 1–6.

Chapters:

(00:00) Exploring Aristotle's Political Philosophy

(05:45) The Best Regime for Human Flourishing

(08:06) Critique of Plato's Republic

(13:19) Unity vs. Diversity in Society

(28:27) Property: Common or Private?

(37:33) Practical Feasibility of Political Theories

Is there such a thing as getting rich the right way?

In this episode, I dive into Aristotle’s views on wealth, money-making, and the purpose behind it all. Aristotle saw a clear difference between natural and unnatural ways of getting rich.

Why did he think the endless pursuit of profit could distort your soul?

What kind of wealth is worthy of respect, and what kind isn't?

This video is deeper look at how to live with purpose, even while building wealth. If you’ve ever felt uneasy about the race for “unlimited money,” Aristotle might help you ask better questions.

From the “Politics” Book I, Chapters 8–12.

Chapters:

(00:00) Hierarchies and Political Animals

(03:48) Economic Life and the Emergence of Commerce

(08:19) The Purpose of Goods and Their Natural / Unnatural Uses

(11:29) The Art of Making Money

(15:16) Commerce and Self-Sufficiency

(19:49) Natural vs. Unnatural Wealth

(23:16) Thales and the Role of Knowledge in Wealth

(26:41) Household Ruling

Why did Aristotle say that anyone who lives outside society is either a beast or a god?

In this first episode of the Politics series, I go back to the origins of the city, the household, and the idea that humans are, by nature, political animals. This is about what kind of creature the human being is, and what happens when he tries to exist alone.

I also dive into one of the most controversial parts of Aristotle’s thinking: slavery. Was he defending the brutal institution of his time, or was he describing a more uncomfortable truth about human inequality? Did he, in a strange way, predict the end of slavery with his thought experiment about self-moving tools?This episode covers Chapters 1–7 of Book I. It’s raw, it’s messy.

There’s a slight delay between my voice and video in some parts of this episode, first launch jitters. I decided to share it anyway rather than sit on it. Future episodes will be more professional. Thanks for sticking with it.If you prefer, you can also just listen in the background, the audio is clean throughout.

From the “Politics” Book I, Chapters 1–8.

Chapters:

⁠(00:00⁠) Introduction to Aristotle's Political Philosophy

(⁠05:22)⁠ Emergence of Political Communities

⁠(18:02)⁠ Understanding Households and Hierarchies

⁠(33:25)⁠ Justification for Hierarchies

⁠(44:15)⁠ Conclusion and Future Discussions

How do art, AI, and ideology shape how we see the world?In this first episode of Philosophy Everyday, I speak with Dr. Rebecca Marks, an art historian with a PhD from Cambridge University.

We explore one of my favorite paintings, Raphael’s The School of Athens, its meaning, symbolism, and place in the Renaissance.We also discuss how AI might influence the future of art, how ideology shapes perception, and the deeper philosophical questions behind creativity, meaning, and human experience.

Follow me on Instagram → https://instagram.com/philosophy.everydayFollow Rebecca on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/culture_dumper/Follow Rebecca's substack → https://culturedump.substack.com?utm_source=navbar&utm_medium=web