Abstract: This essay is attempting to clarify the meaning of the word "physei" in Aristotelian political theory, and especially to interpret how it is used in “Politica” particularly in the passages referring to the nature of the city and the people. This thesis is opposite to the reading of Aristotle in the light of political naturalism, because the naturalistic approach does not reflect totally the spirit of Aristotle's political theory. The consequences of naturalistic approach are misunderstandings, contradictions and inconsistencies. The interesting thing, concerning the application of this theory in ecology, is that: if the city and state are natural entities, then the person’ s life will necessarily be dependent from the city, and his choices about nature and environment will be determined by others.

Keywords: Aristotle, nature, physei, political naturalism, environmental ethics

Gounaris, A. (2006). An approach to the meaning of the term “physei” in the Aristotelian political theory -connections with the modern ecology. Proceedings of the Symposium: Nature -Values and Environment, organized by University of Athens and Messinian Prefecture. Retrieved February 4th, 2019 from https://alkisgounaris.gr/en/archives/an-approach-to-the-meaning-of-the-term-physei-in-the-aristotelian-political-theory/