 Welcome to the first unit of Western political thought. In this unit, you'll encounter the concept of the polis. It's a Greek word, it means city-state, and that was the primary political unit of classical Greece, but today we use polis to refer generally to the political community. In this unit, we're going to learn how Plato and his student Aristotle, two famous Greek philosophers, envisioned the ideal state. Plato thought that the state should be ruled by one philosopher king, and that everything going on in the state should happen for the good or the well-being of the state. For Aristotle, the good of the individual was also important. He thought that you couldn't have a healthy functioning state without healthy functioning individuals. You'll read from Plato's Republic and Aristotle's Nicomachian ethics as well as his politics, and you'll watch lectures by Yale's Stephen Smith, and you'll be encouraged to discuss the ideas you encounter here with other students in our forums. Before you set forth, a few items to remember. First, this unit should take you about 48 hours to complete. Keep notes and do take your time. Second, there's a test at the end of the unit. It won't count toward your final grade, but it will be great practice for the final exam. And finally, as you go, try to identify the similarities and differences in Plato's and Aristotle's systems of political thought. Their visions of the perfect state have informed political philosophy for well over 2,000 years, and they remain relevant today. Good luck, and have fun.