亚里士多德的“准政治的”家庭

Aristotle’s“Qua-Political”Family

亚里士多德政治学研究的起点是最好的治理。最好的治理是最好的事物或其部分对组合体其他事物或部分的完善的治理。亚里士多德伦理学把家庭的生活作为与灵魂相对照的政治的生活的一个附属例证来说明。在自然的家庭生活中,男子与妇女基于其自然而是领导者与被领导者。在城邦“共同生活”下的家庭生活中,男人与女人的关系、父亲与子女的关系具有“准政治的”关系的性质,主人与家奴的关系也具有要“政治地”说明的非政治性关系的性质。家庭生活的目的是培养男性子女成为体面、积极的城邦公民,培养女性子女胜任其未来的公民家庭生活。所以父亲与子女的关系是第一位的,男性公民对于子女是一位“君主式父亲”。丈夫与妻子的关系是第二位的,妻子是家庭中被治理的而不适合去治理家庭的成员。但丈夫与妻子作为生活伴侣各有其作用和德性,在共同培育子女的共同生活中变得相互欣赏各自的德性,形成“贵族式”友爱。而如果丈夫主宰包办一切,或妻子以继承人的权力治理家庭,公民家庭就蜕变为“寡头制”的。

Aristotle’s politics starts from the concept of best governance.The best governance is a perfect governance exercised by the best thing over others or the best part of a composite over other parts.Aristotle employs family as a mini-part of the political life of city that lies in comparison with the activities of soul.In a natural family man is by nature a governor and woman a governed.Whereas in a family under the common life of city the relationships between man and woman and that between father and children turn out to be sort of qua-political relationships.Yet the relation between master and slave in a family,though not a political relationship,needs to be politically expounded.For the aim of family is to cultivate a son to be a decent and active citizen of city and a daughter a lady capable of her future life in a citizen family.Hence the relationship between father and children is of primary importance.A man is to his children a kingly father.The relationship between husband and wife is of secondary importance.A wife is a governed member of the family who is not suitable to governance.Yet husband and wife as co-fellows have activities and virtues of their own.Yet they can appreciate each other at the virtues they own in the common life of cultivating their children and form some aristocratic philia.However,whenever a husband masters everything or a wife governs according to her heritage a citizen family will turn out to be oligarchic.