사회관계에 대한 아리스토텔레스의 사상: 마르크스주의 관점

Abstract

This paper reinterprets Aristotle’s socio-economic thought in terms of the concept of social relations. On his view a polis is founded upon social structure which is made up of several relations: ruler/ruled, exchange and division of labor, friendship(philia), husband/wife, father/son, master/slave. He conceives relation between ruler and ruled, the linchpin of the social structure, as a complex and dialectical one where equality and inequality between citizens in terms of virtue and excellence cross over each other. On the other hand, exchange relations and friendship are primarily characterized by equality, whereas the mater/slave relationship is punctuated. by inequality and domination. Virtue and justice encompass these relations. By contrast, Marx conceptualizes production relations. the core of capitalist social structure, as the combination of exchange relation and exploitation relation or class relation. In his system, production relations are complex and dialectical in the sense that they presuppose equality between capitalist and labourer qua parties to the exchange and, at the same time, inequality between the two in the factory. In this regard, Marx’s production relations are similar to Aristotle’s relations between ruler and ruled. However, in substance, exploitation relation bear resemblance to the master/slave relation. Marx’s concept of value, as it embraces all the social relations, is analogous to Aristotle’s concept of virtue or justice.