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

Some common words found in the essay are:
, Plato Aristotle, Ancient Greece, moral virtues, virtuous mean, middle ground, courage opposite cowardice, virtues developed, courage opposite, virtuous acts, opposite cowardice, doctrine mean, cowardice rashness,
Approximate Word count = 596
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)