This chapter addresses some relations among Aristotle's views on elections and political stasis, and his claims on the political relevance of music. Aristotle claims that election campaigns are forms of demagoguery and corrupt the political process by promoting candidates who offer voters personal benefits rather than serving the common good. Similarly, Aristotle sees the splitting of a city in political parties as a negative sign of stasis. These judgements challenge our contemporary sensitivities: Aristotle takes politics to aim at happiness and virtue, whereas to the modern mind politics is about creating the material preconditions for happiness, which anyone is then free to interpret as one pleases. This distinction has consequences about the political role of music: Aristotle takes music to be crucial in forming virtues by influencing emotions. By contract, modernity has forgotten the educational and political significance of music. Unchallenged by political considerations, modern Western music has focused on the equal tempered scale and the dominance of the piano, which allowed complex harmonies and continuous innovation. Modern Western music's emphasis on novelty and shocking effects triggers passions and emotions which are not congenial for the search of the common good. Traditional Indian music can offer a telling counterexample of Western music in the contemporary world. Aristotle’s remarks on music's power over emotions suggest ways to maintain balance and virtue in public life.
