The Faltering Polis : Aristotelian Version

  The Faltering Polis 

Aristotelian Version

At dawn, the polis wakes beneath a burden

not of foreign chains, but of its own excess.

For where virtue fails, disorder rises—

and streets guarded by fear

announce the absence of a just state.

Whispers move softly

because courage has been diminished,

and when courage fails, truth falters.

Dreams wear fetters because rulers

have surrendered moderation for power,

and power unbalanced becomes tyranny.

In lands once noble,

where citizens sought the common good,

the unrighteous now hold the center.

Boots march where flourishing should bloom,

for a city ruled by appetite

cannot nurture the excellence of its people.

Across borders, the same error spreads:

Leaders pursue self-interest,

not virtue;

force, not reason;

fear, not the good of the citizens.

Kenya stands likewise at the crossroads,

where ballots cast without integrity

cannot yield a virtuous state.

A republic cannot thrive

when its leaders lack temperance

and its justice is left thirsty.

Yet within the youth resides potential—

the seed of a better polity.

For nature inclines us toward the good,

and tyranny cannot forever drown

the human pursuit of excellence.

In time, a virtuous people

will restore balance to their polis—

for no regime built on injustice

can endure beyond its measure.

Insightful view 

The Aristotelian version of the poem views political oppression through the lens of virtue ethics and the health of the polis. 

Aristotle believed that a state exists not merely for survival, but for the cultivation of virtue, enabling citizens to live the “good life” (eudaimonia).

This poem shows what happens when a nation abandons that purpose.

The guarded streets, silenced voices, and restrained citizens signify a polis that has lost balance—where rulers pursue power without moderation, and society slips from order into tyranny, one of Aristotle’s lowest forms of government.

Aristotle taught that a just society requires:

temperance in leaders,

courage and participation from citizens,

and justice as the guiding virtue.

In the poem, each of these virtues is either weakened or corrupted. Rulers chase self-interest, dissent becomes dangerous, and justice “grows thirsty.” This imagery reflects a moral drought, not just a political one.

Yet Aristotle also believed in the potential for renewal. The poem’s final moment—where the youth awaken—aligns with the idea that virtue can be restored through morally awakened citizens. Their inner potential, once activated, can rebalance the polis and lead to a new era of justice.

In short, the Aristotelian version reveals that:

A state collapses when virtue collapses,

and it rises again only when its people reclaim their moral purpose.