1 J JEU 



PER 



tempted to form an abstract conception 

 of this principle, he saw that there must 

 he some substance which enjoys such per- 

 fection as to be capable of performing 1 this 

 function ; but lie was wholly ignorant of 

 the nature of this substance, and there 

 tore in defining 1 it he made use of a term 

 tixpressive of the confused idea which he 

 had formed to himself from observing 1 its 

 operations, and called it perfect energy ; 

 that is,*if he had confessed the truth, some 

 substance which is adapted to produce 

 sensitive and rational life in certain or- 

 ganized bodies. 



This term will afford the attentive 

 reader a striking example of the manner 

 in which Aristotle endeavoured to explain 

 the principles of nature by vague notions 

 and unmeaning words. But on other 

 subjects he is sometimes remarkably 

 clear, as in his discussion on " Politics" 

 he states, in few words, the only legiti- 

 mate purpose of political establishments. 

 " Every political society forms, it is plain, 

 a sort of community or partnership, insti- 

 tuted for the benefit of the partners. 

 Utility is the end and aim of every such 

 Institution ; and the greatest and most ex- 

 tensive utility is the aim of that great as- 

 sociation comprehending all the rest, and 

 known by the name of the common- 

 Avealth." " Having stated and explained 

 the grand purposes of society, he consi- 

 ders the best systems of means for at- 

 taining those purposes, and traces the 

 distinction of ranks which arises from the 

 inequalities of individual talents, virtue, 

 and fortune. Political institutions are 

 best fitted for promoting human happi- 

 ness, when they are most suitable to the 

 opinions and sentiments of the people, 

 and the circumstances of the times and 

 country. No one political system will 

 equally suit all situations, and scarcely 

 any two. Government being an arrange- 

 ment, the best government must be the 

 best arrangement, and the best arrange- 

 ment is that in which the materials 

 to be arranged are the best fitted 

 both to receive and to preserve. The 

 materials of the statesman or legislator 

 are the number and character of his peo- 

 ple, and the extent and quality of his 

 country. The excellence of a common- 

 wealth, however, is not to be estimated 

 by its populousness or extent, but by its 

 fitness for performing its proper func- 

 tions : the same energies and habits con- 

 stitute the happiness both of individuals 

 und of nations. Men make governments, 

 not governments them; nor by any sys- 

 tem of political arrangements can a hap- 



py commonwealth be constituted from 

 fools or cowards, profligates or knaves 

 The bricks must be first prepared before 

 the edifice can be reared. The human 

 character is a compound of good and 

 evil ; the former arises from the balance 

 of the affections, under the controul and 

 guidance of reason, the latter results 

 from passion operating without restraint 

 That government is the best which most 

 powerfully stimulates the energies of the 

 people to beneficial purposes, and re- 

 strains them from hurtful pursuits. That 

 must be a system of freedom, in the first 

 place tempered by order, and modera- 

 tion in the second. Mixed governments, 

 wisely formed and balanced, best corres- 

 pond to the state of mankind. Democra- 

 cy, though apparently most agreeable to 

 the rights of man, is not the best adapted 

 to his wants ; the general will, unrestrain 

 ed, is apt to run into excess; to be pre- 

 cipitate in deliberation, and tardy in exe- 

 cution. While simple democracy is inex- 

 pedient for the people themselves, sim- 

 ple aristocracy and simple monarchy are 

 equally inexpedient ; and being the sub- 

 jection of the many to a few, or to one, 

 are moreover unjust. For these reasons 

 Aristotle recommends a constitution that 

 combines and balances the three orders, 

 as the most generally likely to promote 

 the good of society. 



To his " Treatise on Politics" Aris- 

 totle has added two books on " Oecono- 

 mics," in which he has treated in a simi- 

 lar way on the management of domestic 

 concerns. 



Nothing is to be met with in the writ- 

 ings of Aristotle, which decisively deter- 

 mines whether he thought the soul of 

 man mortal or immortal ; but the former 

 appears most probable, from his notion of 

 the nature and origin of the human soul, 

 which he conceived to be an intellectual 

 power, externally transmitted into the 

 human body from an Eternal Intflli- 

 gence, the common source of rationality 

 to human beings. Aristotle does not in- 

 form his readers what he conceived this 

 universal principle to be ; but there is no 

 proof that he supposed the union of this 

 principle with any individual to continue 

 after death. 



PERIPHERY, in geometry, the cir- 

 cumference of a circle, ellipsis, or any 

 other regular curvilinear figure. 



PER1PLOCA, in botany, a genus of 

 the Pentandria Digynia class and order. 

 Natural order of Contorts. Apocinex, 

 Jussieu. Essential character: nectary en- 

 circling the gcntials, and putting forth 



