“It is not always the same thing to be a good man and a good citizen.”
― Aristotle, Selected Writings From The Nicomachean Ethics And Politics


As Aristotle wrote in his book, Politics, it's not always the same thing to be a good man and a good citizen.  That, along with the basic principle of democracy, was the main idea in which many philosphers thought and followed in the time of ancient Greece, primarily Sparta and Athens.  What I think Aristotle is saying, is that being a good man means following all the laws that are justly made for the good of the country, helping your fellow citizens. However, being a good citizen means following all of the laws, participating in the government, fulfilling your civic duty and basically following whatever the leading government says.  Specifically, he's talking about how being a good man means always doing the right thing, however that doesn't necessarily mean you always have to follow the laws in which the governing body puts in place.  Being a good man means helping others in times of crisis, which may not include following the laws, and working as a team to get yourself and the nation out of the embodied crisis.  On the other hand, being a good citizen means always doing what you can to protect the government and its foundations. Also, following the laws that has been put in place and informing nearby government officials, such as police and judges, about those who dare to break the law.  What I think Aristotle and those who agree intended on having the quote lead people is getting that into the peoples head.  If people have the quote, or at least the idea of it, in their heads, then that will enable people to keep track of what is right and what is wrong, what would a good man do and what would a good citizen do.  That is what I think Aristotle is trying to tell us.