ARISTOTLE ON VIRTUE

Aristotle
Aristotle’s Golden Mean
Virtue: functioning well Return to contents

Aristotle

Many virtue theorists believe that the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle best presents the basics of virtue theory. Aristotle argues that a person of virtue can determine morally correct actions without recourse to previously established rules or principles. For Aristotle, a person of virtue is happy and personally successful. Aristotle defines virtue as

a disposition of the soul in which, when it has to choose among actions and feelings, it observes the mean relative to us, this being determined by such a rule or principle as would take shape in the mind of a man of sense or practical wisdom. We call it a mean condition as lying between two forms of badness, one being excess and the other deficiency. . . .

Practical wisdom is a key term in Aristotle's definition. A person of practical wisdom does not simply follow a previous rule. To know the good, a wise person balances many ingredients, just as the good chef balances the ingredients of a recipe; the "rule" for any particular case takes shape in the judgment about the case. After much experience, a virtuous person is able to give a unique judgment, which may be misunderstood by a person lacking virtue. The important point is that the moral judgments of a person of virtue determine what is good; only a virtuous person understands what courage or truthfulness involves in particular situations. In this sense, goodness is not established by moral rules and principles. Goodness flows from practical reason; a wise person, a virtuous person of solid experience, knows what is good. Top

Aristotle’s Golden Mean

Aristotle’s moral theory relies on the "Golden Mean," or the middle ground between extremes; this middle path toward practical goodness begins to suggest his reliance on the wisdom of the virtuous. A truly generous person does not give too little. That is obvious. But for generosity to be a virtue, a person must not give too much. Imagine a parent who gives away so much that his or her children become deprived. In this case we are not willing to say that genuine generosity, a real virtue, exists. Instead, the supposed generosity seems like a vice.
Because true generosity occupies the mean between the extremes, we must carefully determine what giving too much or too little means under given circumstances. We cannot determine in advance, or by a rule, just how much too much is. For Aristotle, only a person of practical wisdom can determine, in particular cases, where the mean lies. Top

Virtue: functioning well

Aristotle thought in terms of goals. The goal of a virtue is to help a person to function well. A virtuous musician plays music well. Excellent functioning as a human being distinguishes a person who is virtuous from one who is not. The point of morality is to allow us to function well as human beings, to become excellent at being human. Aristotle believed that the proper function of a person, the thing that indicates human excellence, is to reason well -- for example, to know the principles of philosophy and logic. In order to live a life of reason, an excellent life, a person must lead a moderate life. A life of practical excess destroys the ability to reason effectively. So the Golden Mean is required in order to function well as a person, or, in other words, it is a condition for being a virtuous person.
Aristotle's view does not coincide with an ordinary view of virtue today. People like Albert Schweitzer and Mother Teresa are not thought of as avoiding extremes. Yet each does typify a virtuous person. Furthermore, Aristotle's notion that reasoning is the characteristic of a human being seems too specific. Many paths lead to a good or excellent life, and many valued activities have little to do with highly refined intellectual virtues. Top