Freely translated from a slide of a lecture I heard:
Aristoteles ("The Policy"):
"The peoples in the cold areas and in Europe might be courageous, but have little intellectual and artistic potential and thus easier claim their freedom, but are unable to create nations and to dominate their neighbours.
The asian peoples [probably Middle East from his perspective] have a bright and artistic but fright fearful mind, and thus are always servants and slaves. The greeks however have access to the advantages of both and are thus courageous and intelligent at the same time. Therefore they are always in possession of freedom and the best institutions of state and would be able to rule over all nations if only the greeks would band together to one single nation."
It's quite clear what he is trying to do here: Give a reason why his people are better than others, and most of the old lines of reason had that goal.
The lecture I heard led it to a new concept, possibilism (which does not seem to translate well, I'm sorry). The difference between Determinism and Possibilism is that in the second case the environment is seen as only boundary conditions, but humans are free to develop anyway. This new idea was created in the beginning of the 20th century, and it was stated that social facts can only be explained by social circumstances. It seems to be the accepted theory at the moment (not exactly my field of study).
Freely translated from a slide of a lecture I heard:
Aristoteles ("The Policy"):
"The peoples in the cold areas and in Europe might be courageous, but have little intellectual and artistic potential and thus easier claim their freedom, but are unable to create nations and to dominate their neighbours. The asian peoples [probably Middle East from his perspective] have a bright and artistic but fright fearful mind, and thus are always servants and slaves. The greeks however have access to the advantages of both and are thus courageous and intelligent at the same time. Therefore they are always in possession of freedom and the best institutions of state and would be able to rule over all nations if only the greeks would band together to one single nation."
It's quite clear what he is trying to do here: Give a reason why his people are better than others, and most of the old lines of reason had that goal.
The lecture I heard led it to a new concept, possibilism (which does not seem to translate well, I'm sorry). The difference between Determinism and Possibilism is that in the second case the environment is seen as only boundary conditions, but humans are free to develop anyway. This new idea was created in the beginning of the 20th century, and it was stated that social facts can only be explained by social circumstances. It seems to be the accepted theory at the moment (not exactly my field of study).