Aristote et la métaphysique de la subjectivité La valeur des individus et la critique du projet politique platonicien

Within the contemporary political-ethical debate, the Aristo- telian ethics of virtue is frequently invoked by those authors, usually classified under the heading of «communitarian», who turn to Aristotle’s doctrine to com- bat liberalism, whose theoretical roots are identified with the individualistic anthropology typical of modern political philosophy. Faced with this interpreta- tion, the article seeks to show that there are aspects of Aristotle’s view which ensure a profound and persistent continuity with the tradition of modern individ- ualism. To this end, the article sets out from the discussion of the political project of Plato’s Republic developed by Aristotle in the second book of the Politics. Starting out with a study of Aristotle’s criticisms, the article first examines the Aristotelian view of the nature of the political good and then the Aristotelian idea of citizenship. By means of this analysis, the article aims to show that the heart of Aristotle’s confrontation with Plato lies in the proposal of a pattern of subjec- tivity, which considers «one’s own» as the primary core of the identity and autonomy of the individual and as the main source of human action. The article also aims to illustrate the connection between this ethical and political «gram- mar» of subjectivity and another «grammar», equally decisive for the Western tradition: the ontological grammar of the substance.