“Virtue is the golden mean between two vices, the one of excess and the other of deficiency” — Aristotle
I start to feel like this old man had it all right.
Quick background:
Aristotle is one of greatest Greek thinkers in the history of western science and philosophy. Together with Plato and Socrates, he laid much of the groundwork for our modern way of thinking.
One of the main ideas of Aristotle’s teachings is the idea of finding balance.
Aristotle argued that all virtue in life is achieved by “maintaining the Golden Mean”. This means that, in order to find happiness, people should always strive for a balance between 2 extremes.
Let’s take an example:
Did you every encounter someone who is a bit of a coward? Typically, he or she doesn’t dare to speak up or act when facing danger, opposition or threat.
Now, did you ever encounter someone who is totally reckless and unconcerned about the consequences of his or her actions?
Courage is the middle between these 2 extremes.
A person is neither too much of a coward, nor too reckless. In stead, he is courageous. He has learnt to find a balance between these two extremes.
This person, Aristotle argues, will be a virtuous and happy person . He is at balance. He has found the the Golden Mean.
I must think of this ancient principle a lot these days
In a society where non-stop stimulation is widely available, I see a lot of people suffering to apply the rule.
People either succumb in the extreme of excess, which can take form in the accumulation of wealth, food, drugs, alcohol OR descend into deficiency, like inadequate attention to education, healthy sport activities or intellectual pursuits.
One of the examples that strikes me the most is the tremendous imbalance between consuming and producing. Way too many people consume television, media, news, etc. in stead of producing things themselves. While relevant consumption is important, this imbalance is striking and causes a lot of frustration amongst people who don’t seem to find a way to produce valuable things.
Other example: spending money. Holding on to all of your money and not give out a penny comes across as being stingy and penurious, while spending too much of it as a prodigality.
In fact, the examples are countless. Think of binge-eating and drinking, getting sleep, etc.
Aristotle recommends moderation.
We all know too much alcohol will cause a hangover. We all know sleeping only 3–4 hours will harm our body and health. We all know that too much sunlight will give us a sunburn.
Still, people keep falling into this trap time after time.
But what is it that makes living in excess or deficiency so tempting?
Aristotle argues that people who don’t respect the Golden Mean principle think more about short-term gratification. Maintaining a relativity of balance requires willpower and long-term thinking abilities.
I think this ancient principle is still very powerful. Our current world bombards us with temptations, either causing us to over-consume or stay in our shelves out of fear and anxiety.
Finding that balance is a very important aspect of our well-being. I even think it’s crucial in building a healthy self-esteem. Balancing your desires will allow you to strengthen your willpower muscles and keep you focused on your long-term goals.
Yin and Yang baby ☯️
Talk soon,
Anthony.
Greetings, readers. As an avid enthusiast and expert in philosophy, particularly Aristotle's teachings, I am well-versed in the profound insights that this ancient Greek thinker has contributed to the foundations of Western science and philosophy. My deep understanding of Aristotle's philosophy is not merely theoretical but stems from practical application and a genuine passion for exploring the intricacies of his ideas.
Aristotle, along with Plato and Socrates, played a pivotal role in shaping our modern way of thinking. The central theme I'd like to delve into is Aristotle's concept of the Golden Mean, a principle that emphasizes finding balance as the key to virtue and happiness. This idea posits that individuals should strive for a middle ground between two extremes—one of excess and the other of deficiency.
In the article by Anthony Perez, he eloquently encapsulates Aristotle's perspective on virtue and the Golden Mean. Perez illustrates the concept by using examples such as courage, where the virtuous individual strikes a balance between the extremes of cowardice and recklessness. This equilibrium, Aristotle argues, leads to a virtuous and happy life.
Perez extends Aristotle's principle to contemporary issues, highlighting the challenges individuals face in maintaining balance in a society marked by non-stop stimulation. He identifies instances of imbalance, such as excessive consumption versus inadequate production, and excessive spending versus excessive frugality. These examples resonate with Aristotle's emphasis on moderation as the key to well-being.
Moreover, Perez touches upon the allure of short-term gratification that leads people to neglect the Golden Mean principle. Aristotle's perspective suggests that the failure to maintain balance is often rooted in a lack of willpower and a focus on immediate pleasures rather than long-term goals.
In the face of a world saturated with temptations, Perez underscores the continued relevance of Aristotle's ancient principle. He argues that finding balance is crucial not only for well-being but also for building a healthy self-esteem. Balancing desires, as per Aristotle's philosophy, strengthens one's willpower and fosters a focus on long-term objectives.
In conclusion, Aristotle's Golden Mean, as expertly elucidated by Anthony Perez, remains a timeless and powerful principle. It serves as a guiding philosophy for individuals navigating the complexities of modern life, encouraging them to seek balance in all aspects for the sake of virtue, happiness, and overall well-being.
One of the main ideas of Aristotle's teachings is the idea of finding balance. Aristotle argued that all virtue in life is achieved by “maintaining the Golden Mean”. This means that, in order to find happiness, people should always strive for a balance between 2 extremes.
Presented by the Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle who lived from 384 B.C.E to 322 B.C.E, every virtue is argued to be a mean, or middle ground, between two vices, one of excess and the other of deficiency.
The great merit of Aristotle's system was its internal logic, a grand attempt to unify all branches of human knowledge within the scope of a single self-consistent and comprehensive theory.
Aristotle believed that moral virtues are the mean between two extremes of excess and deficiency. Therefore, the virtuous person is the one who finds the right balance in all things. Aristotle also believed that practical wisdom, or “phronesis”, is necessary to live a virtuous life.
The positive power of balance and harmony is immense and can profoundly impact various aspects of our lives. Here are some key benefits: 1. Emotional well-being: Balance and harmony help us maintain emotional stability and inner peace.
In metaphysics, balance is a point between two opposite forces that is desirable over purely one state or the other, such as a balance between the metaphysical law and chaos — law by itself being overly controlling, chaos being overly unmanageable, balance being the point that minimizes the negatives of both.
Aristotle examines the concepts of substance (ousia) and essence (to ti ên einai, "the what it was to be") in his Metaphysics (Book VII), and he concludes that a particular substance is a combination of both matter and form, a philosophical theory called hylomorphism.
In the Nichomachean Ethics, Aristotle repeatedly states that virtue is a mean. The mean is a state of clarification and apprehension in the midst of pleasures and pains that allows one to judge what seems most truly pleasant or painful.
Moral behavior is the mean between two extremes - at one end is excess, at the other deficiency. Find a moderate position between those two extremes, and you will be acting morally. Immanuel Kant - the categorical imperative. As human beings we have certain moral rights and duties.
He made pioneering contributions to all fields of philosophy and science, he invented the field of formal logic, and he identified the various scientific disciplines and explored their relationships to each other.
Aristotle believed that this world is our world. He agreed with Plato that knowledge must be universal and concerned with what things have in common, but he rejected Plato's view that Forms could be separated from particular things.
Aristotle thus reduces the answers to the question “What is a good life?” to a short list of three: the philosophical life, the political life, and the voluptuary life. This triad provides the key to his ethical inquiry.
The idea of balance represents a crucial pillar of Aristotle's thinking in general. Through his contemplations, he finds that a great cause of unhappiness in people is an unhealthy dalliance in one extreme or another. Usually, as in the case of exercise, no one benefits from too much or too little of anything.
Leading a balanced life means equally distributing your energy among things that sustain you physically, mentally, and emotionally. These often include a mix of “work and play,” such as employment, relationships, social activities, hobbies, and self-care practices.
What is the principle of balance in design? Balance in design covers how elements are weighted against each other on different sides of a design to create cohesiveness, completion, and satisfaction. Your composition should be balanced vertically, horizontally, diagonally, or background versus foreground.
Basically, Yin & Yang principle is a philosophical Concept of Balance. The meaning in brief is that the universe is governed by a Cosmic Duality, Sets of two opposing & complementing principles or cosmic energies that can be observed in nature.
At its core, the Golden Mean suggests that virtue lies between extremes, advocating for a moderate approach to life's challenges. For example, Aristotle argues that courage lies between recklessness and cowardice, generosity between wastefulness and stinginess, and so on.
Rooted in ancient Greek philosophy, the golden mean emphasizes the importance of finding a moderate and balanced approach to various aspects of life. This principle encourages individuals to avoid extremes and instead seek a middle path that leads to virtue, equilibrium, and overall well-being.
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Introduction: My name is Maia Crooks Jr, I am a homely, joyous, shiny, successful, hilarious, thoughtful, joyous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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