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Montesquieu.it 15-2023

2023, Montesquieu.it

In his last will, preserved by Diogenes Laertius, Aristotle left clear dispositions for all the members of his house, free and slaves: the document represents therefore a primary source both for the biography, and for the ethical-political thought of the philosopher, since it shows live his way of intending and practicing the role of head of the oikos, fundamental structure of the polis broadly analyzed in the Politics. This second aspect has not always received the suitable attention of the commentators, particularly referring to the treatment reserved to the slaves; the manumission of some of them, nevertheless, introduced as an ordinary routine, seemed to some critics a proof of "contradiction" from the philosopher, known as supporter of the "slavery by nature". My reflection starts from the reading of the testamentary dispositions in order to draw the most possible number of indications, also thanks to the comparison with the few other last wills of well-known philosophers. The general picture that shows through has its own coherence and doesn't seem to jar with the ethical-political theses expressed in his writings; if anything, it completes them in a wider perspective and pragmatic, based on facts. It also confirms the idea that the famous theory of the "slave by nature" doesn't exhaust the thought of the philosopher on the matter of slavery as institution "by law", on which he probably reserved to develop further discussions (cf. Pol. 1330a 31-3: «how slaves should be employed, and why it is advantageous that all slaves should have their freedom set before them as a reward, we will say later»).