Aristotle justified slavery on the grounds that it was a natural institution. He believed that some men lacked reason and virtue, making them natural slaves. Aristotle argued that slavery benefited both the slaveholder and slave. For the slaveholder, slavery allowed leisure for intellectual pursuits, while slaves benefited from being governed by their masters since they lacked self-governance abilities. Aristotle distinguished between conventional and natural slaves, with natural slaves permanently subordinate due to their lack of reason. While criticized for justifying slavery, Aristotle's views must be understood in the context of political realities of his time.