Aristotle’s Politics, despite or perhaps for his flaws, is quite a gem to read. Aristotle views nature as providing essentially everything that man needs for the management of the household (family). Wealth acquisition to supply the needs of the household is limited. Wealth acquisition through commerce is unnatural because it is unlimited. What struck me particularly was the following passage in which Aristotle enumerates some of the natural forms of acquisition:
The different ways of life (at any rate if we take into account only those who follow an occupation dependent on their own labours, and do not provide themselves with subsistence [at the expense of others] by exchange and petty trade) may be roughly classified as five – the pastoral, the farming, the freebooting, the fishing, and the life of the chase. (1256a – 1256b §8)
Notice here that Aristotle sneeks in freebooting, another word for piracy. He deems it to be more natural as opposed to exchange and petty trade! Now, here is an even more striking passage:
It also follows that the art of war [that is to say, so far as it is directed to gaining means of subsistence from animals] a natural mode of acquisition. Hunting is a part of that art; and hunting ought to be practiced – not only against wild animals, but also against human beings who are intended by nature to be ruled by others and refuse to obey that intention – because war of this order is always just. (1256b §12)
Aristotle views thievery and slavery as more natural forms of the acquisition of wealth than commerce. He thinks that nature does nothing in vain and that it will provide man with what he needs to be self-sufficient. Incidentally, he also sneers at technology. His stance is certainly opposed to other thinkers, including Rand, who view nature as something man can shape and command to his advantage. Aristotle does not seem to be in favor of that. And he certainly does not think that no limit on wealth creation, which is what commerce facilitates, is natural or necessarily a good thing. In fact, he dislikes commerce insofar as it can lead men to think that wealth is unlimited and to seek accumulating it for its own sake, which would be unnecessary and unnatural if men’s self-sufficiency is the goal.
Should we file Aristotle’s opinion on wealth acquisition and commerce under minor errors on his part?
