Aristotle on diversity and equality in the constitution of polis/ [phrase omitted]: Aristoteles sobre diversidade e igualdade na constituicao da polis

In this paper, we focus on difference as a feature of political community, in Greek Ancient thought. There usually describes the Greek conception of polis as a community of equals. This is a very important legacy. However, this is not the same as to (misleadingly) state it as a homogeneous community (as Emile Durkhein does in De la division du travail social, 1893). The tension between equality and diversity is a paramount political theme, and there is a lot to learn about this from Aristotle. His investigations on the nature of polis propose an original combination of equality and difference to ground human associations. This is my point: how can we say that polis is, at the same time, an association of equal but different people? This is relevant for understanding justice as a central feature and task of political life. Although there is a lot elsewhere to consider, we explore this question from some selected arguments presented in Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics (Book V), and Politics (Books I and II). Methodically, we try to understand every statement from its dialectical context of inquiry. This makes Topics a relevant background (or even a guide) to the approach we propose.