In the first eight chapters of Politics, Aristotle seems to have one primary goal in mind. This goal is to justify to everyone why the Greek society should be as he says. He gives examples of why certain people should be slaves, why some men are superior to others, how men are better than animals, and why Greeks as a whole are better than other people. According to Arnhart though, Aristotle may not have been sure of all the things he was arguing for, as he seemed to contradict himself from time to time.
In Chapter 1, Aristotle states that "every community is established for the sake of some good." He goes on to say that since city-states aim higher than other communities to involve all people, they are a political community. Also in this chapter, Aristotle differentiates between the positions of statesman, king, household manager, and master of slaves, which he refers to throughout Book 1. He concludes this chapter by stating how to examine what he says in order for it to make sense. This method seems to be reductionalism.
Chapter 2 is when Aristotle first compares people to animals, and states that the reasons he uses are all based in nature. He defines couples as people who come together out of necessity, and then gives two examples: men and women for procreation, and slave and owner for survival. Aristotle states that those who possess natural insight should rule those who use their body for labor, and that this relationship is beneficial to both. He goes on to agree with the poets who say "it is proper for Greeks to rule non-Greeks." In the second part of this chapter, Aristotle explains how a city-state is formed. The first ingredient is a household, which becomes a community, than a village, and when the village reaches a point of self-sufficiency, it is called a city-state. He uses this line of evolution to parallel how a man comes to rule his house, and draws form this the concept that a city-state is made of nature.
