Aristotle

A detailed Summary of Aristotle


Virtue can be divided into two categories: intellectual and moral. Intellectual virtues are developed by teaching and instruction. Moral virtues are developed by force of habit. Moral virtues are not naturally instilled in us; the soul is designed to receive moral virtues, but in order to develop into guiding forces they must be nurtured by habit. The soul acquires moral virtue by exercising it, just as the pianist learns to play the piano by playing it and not by thinking about it. Virtuous activity breeds virtuous character.

The first thing we can say about virtuous conduct is that it is inconsistent with excess or deficiency. Any moral quality (take courage, for instance) can be present in excess (rashness) or deficiency (cowardice). In all things, virtue represents a middle ground between too much and too little. A virtuous person will react moderately to both pleasure and


The idea of moderation plays a central role in the philosophies of Plato and Aristotle, in the histories of Herodotus, and in the surviving plays of Ancient Greece. In this section, Aristotle uses

The nature of the virtuous dispositions can be discovered by using the doctrine of the Mean. As we have already discussed, virtue consists of seeking the mean in one's responses to other people and the world. This is difficult, and leaves an infinite amount of space for error--people can be bad in countless ways, but there is only one way to be virtuous.

We may speak of the feelings, faculties, or dispositions of the soul. Feelings are emotions, faculties are the capability of having emotions, and dispositions are our inclinations to have emotions. Since no one is praised or condemned for their emotions alone, or their ability to feel them, but rather on their reactions (and there

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