For Aristotle, peace is not simply the absence of conflict. It is the product of a virtuous, well-ordered society, one capable of enabling eudaimonia, or human flourishing. Such flourishing requires justice, education, moral development, social cohesion, and tolerance: conditions that allow individuals and communities to thrive. In this understanding, peace is an active state sustained by ethical governance and an engaged citizenry, not a passive quiet between periods of conflict.
IEP’s Positive Peace framework, which is defined as the attitudes, institutions, and structures that sustain peaceful societies, mirrors this dynamic conception of peace. Many of Aristotle’s core ideas align directly with the Eight Pillars, illustrating the enduring relevance of his thought.
Aristotle argued that political communities exist to cultivate virtue and enable citizens to live good lives. Humans, he wrote, are “political animals,” and flourishing requires meaningful participation in the life of the polis. He also warned that exclusion from governance breeds resentment, instability, and violence, a point that aligns closely with modern evidence showing that political inclusion reduces conflict and terrorism.
This maps directly onto IEP’s pillar of Well-Functioning Government, which emphasises transparency, representation, and effective institutions as foundations for peace. Aristotle’s insistence on active civic engagement parallels the role of rational civic participation within Positive Peace: governance that reflects the needs and virtues of its citizens.
Aristotle placed extraordinary importance on education as the means for cultivating character, ethical reasoning, and civic responsibility. For him, peace emerges from the moral development of citizens who can deliberate wisely and contribute to the common good.
This strongly aligns with the Positive Peace pillar of High Levels of Human Capital, which underscores education, skills, and personal development as prerequisites for stable and resilient societies. Both frameworks understand human development not as a luxury, but as a central mechanism for sustaining peace.
Aristotle believed that a harmonious society depends on shared values, empathy, and mutual respect. A just polity must nurture cohesion among citizens, ensuring they recognise one another’s dignity and rights. This overlaps with the Positive Peace pillars Acceptance of the Rights of Others and Good Relations with Neighbours, both of which highlight the importance of tolerance, trust, and cooperation, internally and externally. Aristotle’s concern for social harmony mirrors modern findings that cohesive societies experience less violence and fewer grievances.
While Aristotle viewed virtue as central, he also recognised that political stability and flourishing depend on meeting citizens’ material needs. Severe inequality, poverty, or deprivation undermines cohesion and can lead to unrest. This corresponds to Positive Peace’s Equitable Distribution of Resources. Both frameworks emphasise that fairness in access to economic and social goods is not merely desirable but necessary for a peaceful society.
Aristotle’s ideal rulers embody phronesis, or practical wisdom, through an ability to balance competing demands, pursue the common good, and govern ethically. This idea resonates strongly with IEP’s Sound Business Environment, which positions stable, predictable, and ethical institutional frameworks as essential for long-term peace and prosperity. Just as practical wisdom creates the right conditions for citizens to flourish, sound institutions enable societies to innovate, trade peacefully, and resolve disputes constructively.
A Dynamic Conception of Peace
Both Aristotle’s account and the Positive Peace framework reject the idea of peace as a static state. Instead, peace is understood as an ongoing, dynamic equilibrium supported by inclusive governance, educated citizens, cohesive communities, equitable resource distribution, and wise institutions. Aristotle’s vision of peace as a lived practice, cultivated through virtue, justice, and participation, finds clear expression in the Eight Pillars. The overlapping concepts illustrate a shared understanding that peaceful societies emerge from ethical interactions and supportive social systems that enable people to reach their full potential.
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IEP has identified eight key factors, or Pillars, that comprise Positive Peace.
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