Rules for Critical Reading…
 1. Always read and think about the title and what it
tells you to expect….
 2. Find the thesis as soon as possible
 3. In every paragraph , find the topic sentence.
 4. Relate the topic of each paragraph back to the
thesis of the work
 5. Keep track of key words , their definitions and
the key sentences which relate them to each other
and to the thesis.
Rules for Critical Reading -2
 Write marginal notes , comments ,running
summaries as you read.
Aristotle Introduction
Political Man and the Conditions of the
Democratic Order
What the title tells us…
Paragraph 1 +
 Topic?
 Which element of the title is addressed?
 Political Animal?
 Social instinct?
 The State?
 Justice?
Paragraph 2
 Topic?
 Which element of the title is addressed?
 The analogies? Relevance?
 Government by the many?
Paragraph 3
 Topic?
 Which element of the title is addressed?
 Middle class
 Extremes?
 Oligarchy, plutocracy, aristocracy,
democracy, rampant democracy, tyranny
 Middle constitutions
Paragraph 4
 Topic?
 Which element of the title is addressed?
 Democracies and laws?
 Demagogues?
 Flatters?
Paragraph 5
 Topic?
 Which element of the title is addressed?
 Why many forms of government?
 Constitution?
Paragraph 6
 Topic?
 Which element of the title is addressed?
 Cause of revolution?
 Equality?
Reflection
 In your estimation, what did Aristotle get
right about political man and the democratic
order? Explain…
 What did he get wrong??? Explain…