The study engages Aristotle’s dictum that man is a political animal. It sees Aristotle’s view as a philosophical import of his political orientation. It presents clear (and concise) discussions on Aristotle’s categorization of man -- both for and against. It argues that Aristotle and the commentators alike, i.e. the defenders, and the critics, have failed to pay attention to the fact that Aristotle’s dictum does not preclude the altruistic utility of the political nature of man. Nevertheless, Aristotle’s dictum can be seen in the light of his consistency in maintaining the same fundamental principles that made him to reject the atomic life for man, and propose sociality or politicalness as the alternative. This made Aristotle to concede that man and the society are natural phenomena, and that no individual can fulfil his potentials by living in solitude. This concession has socio-moral worth, in the light of contemporary problems facing humanity. The study employs the methods of conceptual analysis and philosophical argumentation.

Keywords: man, sociality, political, animal, altruism, atomic, solitude