Estrangement
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Blake Lewis
Professor Eskandari
Political Science 132
December 5, 2005
Unessentially Estranged
Chapter two of Glenn Tinders, “Political Thinking: The Perennial Questions” on estrangement and unity asks us whether we as humans are estranged in essence. This question really sets the tone for the rest of the book, because if humans are estranged then we would not be living together in societies, therefore not needing political science to answer such questions that deal with societies. As Tinder describes it, ” politics is the art of reconcilliation, and that the need for this art always arises from some kind of estrangement”(23). Tinders point does not answer the question of whether or not we are truly
estranged in essence, that would be to easy! It merely suggests that with humans living in societies estrangement arises, not that we are estranged in essence. By deffinition estrangement signifies alienation: a separation
from hostility. And it is derrived from the latin word extraneare: to treat as a stranger. So do humans by nature treat others as strangers, are they alienated from one another at there core? Tinder attempts to show us two such philosophers who would show us the two sides of this argument so that we may gain clarity and decide the essence of humans with the knowledge of great thinkers as our foundation. Those two great thinkers are Aristotle who believes that humans are not estranged, and Thomas Hobbes who subscribes to the idea that humans are estranged in essence. So with these two thinkers as the backbone of this debate we can get to the bottom of the question at hand.
The seminal philosopher in the argument that humans are not estranged is Aristotle. In Politea, Aristotle states that:
.. by nature man is a political animal. Hence man have a desire for life together, even when they have no need to seek each others help. Nevertheless, common interest too is a factor in bringing them together, in so far as it contributes to the good life of each. The good life is indeed their chief end, both communally and individually; but they form and continue to maintain a political association for the sake of life itself. Perhaps we may say that there is an element of good even in mere living, provided that life is not excessively beset with troubles. Certainly most men, in their desire to keep alive, are prepared to face a great deal of suffering, as if finding in life itself a certain well-being and a natural sweetness. (Aristotle, Politics Book II)
If man indeed is a political animal, and our commmon interest does bring us together in the hopes of having “the good life” or eudeamonia then it seems somewhat impossible be estranged in essence. For, by the deffinition aforementioned of being estranged man would not and certainly could not live together, and certainly not for institutions to keep those bonds strong. Afterall who in their right mind would enjoy or