LES POLITIQUES D’ARISTOTE LUES PAR LE CITOYEN CHAMPAGNE

Une mise en lumière de leur dimension démocratique

Abstract

This paper aims to reassess the democratic character of Aristotelian political thought through the interpretation developed by Jean-François Champagne (1751-1813). While numerous studies rightly highlight Aristotle’s openness to regimes with democratic tendencies, many scholars remain hesitant to fully acknowledge this dimension. As a result, Aristotle’s defense in Book IV of the politeia – a regime positioned between democracy and oligarchy – is often overlooked or dismissed as a mere compromise or as a second-best alternative to the ideal regime outlined in Books VII and VIII. In the works of Bodéüs, Devereux, Meiksins Wood, and Balot, Aristotle is typically portrayed, following the Platonic tradition, as favoring aristocracy, often at the expense of countervailing arguments – such as the principle of cumulative wisdom presented in Book III. In response to such readings, this article focuses on the status of the politeia within the Politics, on the grounds that it incorporates prominent democratic elements. To do so, I first examine what this regime concretely represents for Aristotle, along with the political challenges it is meant to address. Second, I draw on key passages from Champagne’s commentary, which highlight Aristotle’s explicit promotion of the politeia – a regime treated, as Champagne suggests, with “une sorte de prédilection” – as well as his implicit promotion of it, evidenced by his undermining of the Platonic political project. In this way, I aim to support the hypothesis that, among the regimes surveyed by the Stagirite, the politeia may ultimately be the one he favors, thereby bringing the democratic dimension of the Politics to light.

English title: Citoyen Champagne on Aristotle’s Politics: Revealing its Democratic Dimension