THE DIFFERENCE IN PHILOSOPHY.
d

CHAPTER XII.

He says virtues and vices are medians (means), defining them by quantity, not quality. Whereas Plato...

It is also pleasing to touch briefly upon some of his Aristotle’s discussions concerning virtues, and to make it clear how, even in these discourses, he follows an opinion far removed from the truth. He says that virtues are medians, and vices are extremes original: "Virtutes ait ille esse mediocritates, vitia autem extremitates." This refers to Aristotle's famous "Golden Mean," where virtue is the balance between two extremes.: where, naturally, he understands these medians to be of the passions which are in the soul, and conversely the extremes in vices to be of the same. But as for what kind of "median" he is talking about (for "median" is a multifaceted term)—whether he means that which consists in quality or that which consists in quantity—he does not explain clearly enough. However, from a few of his own words which he wrote elsewhere, this very thing can be observed, specifically where he finds fault if someone does not fear lightning and earthquakes. Aristotle argues in the "Nicomachean Ethics" that a man who fears nothing, even things beyond human endurance like earthquakes, is not "brave" but "insane" or "senseless." From this, it appears that he measures and distinguishes between things to be feared and things not to be feared not by quality, but by "great" and "small"—which is to say, by quantity. All disgrace is to be feared.

But the Platonists do not think so, nor indeed do others who examine the matter more accurately. Instead, they believe that all disgrace disgrace: here translating "turpitudinem," referring to moral baseness or shameful behavior should be feared, whether great or small, whereas whatever is not disgraceful should not be feared. Thus, they measure things to be feared and things not to be feared by quality, not quantity. Lightning and earthquakes are not to be feared. Therefore, earthquakes and lightning are not worthy of fear, provided they lack vice and do not make a person worse. And how could it not be attributed to foolishness if someone is terrified by lightning? This is not just because it is not disgraceful to be struck by lightning, It is not disgraceful to be struck by lightning, because it is not in our power. original: "non est turpe feriri fulmine" and in this way to exchange this mortal life—for this itself is not within our power, and thus cannot be attributed to us as either a merit or a vice—but also because this very occurrence is among those things that happen most rarely. To expect such things and be terrified by the fear of them is the height of foolishness. Finally, even if someone is afraid, they are not thereby more liberated...