Aristotle examines the role of leisure in the optimal life of the citizen. In the quest for the most desirable life understood as the proper combination of political and contemplative elements Aristotle ascribes an important role to leisure. Varga explores the two books in terms of the notion of schole and shows the inadequacy of previous interpretations of Aristotle s proposed design for the commonwealth.".

In Aristotelian understanding, political autarky does not imply individual isolation, but the order of all human relationships within the community. The final aim is not ‘not-needing-anybody-else-anymore’, the independent identity, but the collective-cooperative shaping and ordering of life in the immediate forms of community. This includes in a special way basic social-anthropological elements, economic activities, civic organization, social-ethical reflection and friendship. These core elements of Aristotle’s specific political autarky make it clear that man is not only a zōon politikon but also (...) a zōon koinonikon and that he can only realize this ‘political autarky’ in community. (shrink)