The Complimentary Teachings of Aristotle

Man by nature belongs to a city or polis meaning here a perfect community whatever is exact size or its contemporary name. Even the lower animals may even the plants show a similar desire in regard to their species that they order their individual growth and work towards the perpetuation of their kind. Similarly but with the great difference wrought by reason man by nature desires the good of the city more than he desires his own individual good because he knows at some level that he only really and fully exists in the city. Therefore as Aristotle says the city is thus prior by nature to the household and to each of us.