Grim Lessons from Aristotle on the Causes of Civil War

American Greatness ^ | June 26, 2020 | Steven Skultety

[CheshireTheCat]

Is the United States headed for a civil war? Every new partisan battle feels like the battle to end all battles.

But contemplating apocalyptic violence and massive upheaval brings doubt: even with all the current acrimony, could it really be the case that the most successful nation on earth is spiraling towards internal war? Isn’t intense partisanship a hallmark of American democracy? At what point does intense partisanship threaten to devolve into civil war? And how would we know—especially when so many of our intuitions are bolstered by unfounded hopes and the assumption that things can’t change?

Let’s step away from the moment’s heat and look at things from an outsider’s point of view. Aristotle is a helpful guide. Not only did the ancient Greek philosopher think deeply about the numerous civil wars that took place in the tumultuous world of ancient Greece, but he also grasped a profound point that’s easily lost on us: civil wars don’t show up like some surprising and alien virus attacking an otherwise healthy body. Civil war takes place because familiar forces wear down the healthy civic bonds that hold citizens together until some crisis finally triggers action.

That’s what makes reading Book V of the Politics so unnerving. When we consider the seven long-term causes Aristotle identifies as having the potential to transform otherwise peaceful citizens into would-be factionalizers, it’s startling to find that so many of the well-known proclivities of our contemporary ruling class are exactly those that Aristotle thought would undermine political cohesion and make civil war more likely.

[CheshireTheCat]

These seven long-term causes are as follows:

Changing the Political Landscape Through Demographics

Unjust Distribution of Wealth

Unjust Distributions of Honor

Arrogance

Contempt

Superiority

Fear

[mylife]

Um no, we are headed to being called a dumbass by conservatives

[fieldmarshaldj]

Purging God from the schools and culture was the singular source in our country (and Europe, too).

[Secret Agent Man]

aristotle didn’t have murderous commie marxists using alinsky tactics and employing an end justifies the means foundation to every issue they were unhappy with.

[JudgemAll]

Tocqueville’s 4th chapter talks about how the American middle class obsessed with making their suburban living would gladly welcome totalitarianism to make earning money more efficient. And that this would exacerbate things towards civil war and the end of democracy in America.

[sauropod]

Bkmk

[Roman_War_Criminal]

At least Xerxes was upfront about his reasons for war during Aristotle’s lifetime.

The commie/marxists/sodomite coalition will never be honest and never understand truth.

If it’s war they want, there are plenty who will give it to them.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks CheshireTheCat.

[dsc]

All leftist thought, from the limousine liberalism of a George Clooney to the murderous horrors of Mao, Stalin, and Pol Pot, is of and from Satan. Leftism is a contaminant in the human cognosphere, not a natural component of it.

Satan is smarter than we are, and he never sleeps. Those over whom he has the most influence are like maniacally evil energizer demons.

Every once in a while one of them escapes, as David Horowitz did, but who knows how or why?

Anyway, Satan knows that leftism is bad for humanity. That’s why he invented it, and that’s why he flim-flams those he can into trying to force it on us all.