How women can be free

The vote and £ 500 a year.

She said when that was a hell of a lot.

Oddly, Aristotle would have agreed, if he had thought women could manage it.

And he did not.

Reading The Voyage Out.

So far, so good

Not much of a winter, so far.

But Aristotle said count no man happy until he is dead.

A very weird law of Solon's

Further, since he saw the state often engaged in internal disputes, while many of the citizens from sheer indifference accepted whatever might turn up, he made a law with express reference to such persons, enacting that any one who, in a time civil factions, did not take up arms with either party, should lose his rights as a citizen and cease to have any part in the state.

Aristotle, The Constitution of Athens.

Democratic features of Solon's reforms

There are three points in the constitution of Solon which appear to be its most democratic features: first and most important, the prohibition of loans on the security of the debtor’s person; secondly, the right of every person who so willed to claim redress on behalf of any one to whom wrong was being done; thirdly, the institution of the appeal to the jurycourts; and it is to this last, they say, that the masses have owed their strength most of all, since, when the democracy is master of the voting-power, it is master of the constitution.

Moreover, since the laws were not drawn up in simple and explicit terms (but like the one concerning inheritances and wards of state), disputes inevitably occurred, and the courts had to decide in every matter, whether public or private.

Some persons in fact believe that Solon deliberately made the laws indefinite, in order that the final decision might be in the hands of the people.

This, however, is not probable, and the reason no doubt was that it is impossible to attain ideal perfection when framing a law in general terms; for we must judge of his intentions, not from the actual results in the present day, but from the general tenor of the rest of his legislation.

. . . .

These seem to be the democratic features of his laws; but in addition, before the period of his legislation, he carried through his abolition of debts, and after it his increase in the standards of weights and measures, and of the currency.

There were significant property qualifications for higher office, but most office holders were chosen by lot from among all those eligible or from lists, themselves filled by lot from among all eligible.

Terms ranged from life tenure to one year.

Some were held for life upon completion of a term in another.

Aristotle, The Constitution of Athens.

Solon goes to Egypt

When he had completed his organization of the constitution . . . he set off on a journey to Egypt . . .

He considered that there was no call for him to expound the laws personally, but that every one should obey them just as they were written.

Moreover, his position at this time was unpleasant.

Many members of the upper class had been estranged from him on account of his abolition of debts, and both parties were alienated through their disappointment at the condition of things which he had created.

The mass of the people had expected him to make a complete redistribution of all property, and the upper class hoped he would restore everything to its former position, or, at any rate, make but a small change.

Solon, however, had resisted both classes.

He might have made himself a despot by attaching himself to whichever party he chose, but he preferred, though at the cost of incurring the enmity of both, to be the saviour of his country and the ideal lawgiver.

Aristotle, The Constitution of Athens.

Tweaking Aristotle's nose

"The Abominable Bride," the last episode of season 3 of Sherlock.

Holmes remarks, "Fear is wisdom in the face of danger."

Not courage.

Or maybe Plato.

Or Socrates.

The American working class is “an interest group”?

Labor And Business Groups Deny Immigration Talks Are Collapsing

It is, according to Benjy Sarlin at the liberal site, TPM.

Ask top GOP or Democratic lawmakers what their biggest fear is for immigration reform, and they’ll likely describe an apocalyptic war between labor and big business over guest workers.

With negotiations between the two interest groups slow and rumors trickling out of such a scenario emerging, leaders from both sides moved Thursday to tamp down rumors that their talks had collapsed.

Good grief, man.

The American working class is the people.

Phooey.

All right, the people, here, are ruled by professional politicians and government workers.

They most certainly do not rule themselves and their role in this mixed government, to speak Aristotle's language, is almost entirely limited to voting.

And that, I think, is as it must be, on the whole; though even given that the government could stand a lot of reform to make it both less aristocratic and less monarchic.

Anyway, our politicians are loosely affiliated with parties and factions, as is common historically among republics and so should not have come as a surprise to the founding generation.

Of the two major political parties, the Democrats are the lesser evil for the people of America, but still an evil.

And of the two major political factions, the liberals are the lesser evil for the people of America, but still an evil.

Both parties and both factions being, as they are, in thrall to the upper classes.

And that, too, is unavoidable, I suppose.