Introduction

The multi-faceted notion of politeia as a lens on Aristotle’s ideas about politics and history is the organizing focus of this monograph in Araucaria which unites essays by philosophers, historians and political theorists. What issues are focused on? The historical qualities of the research on the politeiai in relation to the Aristotelian judgement on history (Mara, Poddighe); the use of the politeiai as paradeigmata for the correction of the existing regimes and for the creation of new ones by lawgivers and politicians, be they real models (Pezzoli, Zizza) or theoretical elaborations (Sancho Rocher); Aristotle’s ethical reflection on the principles that give unity and stability to the politeia, in particular the democratic ones (Irrera) and Aristotle’s analysis on a pragmatic way to settle the problem of stasis with political means (Knoll); and, finally, the method of Aristotelian research on the politeiai (Polito).