The many faces of Aristotle: Neo-Aristotelianism and contemporary political theory

This dissertation examines the recent revival of interest in Aristotelian philosophy. More specifically, it looks at the work of scholars who have been described as neo-Aristotelian. Neo-Aristotelian is a broad term meant to indicate both interest in and endorsement of fundamental features of Aristotle's philosophy while at the same time pointing to some disagreement with or divergence from Aristotle's thought.;This project attempts to classify a number of different varieties of neo- Aristotelian thought. It looks to the work of Martha Nussbaum, Douglas Rasmussen and Douglas Den Uyl, and Alasdair MacIntyre as efforts to apply Aristotelian insights to debates and problems in ethics and politics. It argues that each of these thinkers shares Aristotle's interest in and commitment to the importance of human character and the human good. But these scholars also reject particular features of Aristotelian practical philosophy: namely, its lack of moral pluralism and the close connection it draws between ethics and politics.;After elucidating and classifying each example of neo-Aristotelianism, the dissertation then returns to Aristotle's texts in order to argue that the neo-Aristotelians fail to understand both the structure of his works as well as the point and purpose of his philosophical project. In particular, they fail to notice both the importance of the close link between ethics and politics in Aristotle's writings and the tension between the political and philosophical life that provides the backdrop for much of his work.;After Aristotle's project has been explained and clarified, the dissertation concludes by applying Aristotelian insights to modern political problems. It argues that there can be a more authentic Aristotelian political theory in the twenty-first century---a theory that remains true to Aristotle's thought while at the same time addressing present political circumstances.