Aristotelianism

Another example is temperance, the virtue concerning pleasure and desires. Temperance’s deficiency is insensibility, a lack of awareness or enjoyment of pleasures. The excess is intemperance or self-indulgence, an unchecked pursuit of pleasure that leads to excess and harm. Temperance, therefore, consists of finding the right balance in enjoying pleasure—appreciating it but not allowing it to dominate one’s life. This isn’t about asceticism but about moderation and self-control.

Generosity illustrates the mean further. The deficiency of generosity is stinginess, an unwillingness to share resources or help others. The excess is extravagance, an excessive generosity that leads to resource depletion and potential harm. The generous person gives freely and readily but wisely, considering the needs of both themselves and others.

They avoid both miserliness and recklessness in their giving. Justice, a crucial virtue within society, also demonstrates the principle of the mean. Injustice, the deficiency, might manifest as a failure to uphold fairness or give others their due. Conversely, excessive justice (if such a thing is possible) could lead to merciless punishment or a rigid application of the law regardless of circumstance, neglecting the nuances of individual situations. Justice is about finding a fair and balanced approach, considering the specific context, and aiming for equitable outcomes.

Pride, often misunderstood as arrogance, is another virtue within Aristotle’s framework. It is the mean between vanity (excess) and humility, which is not to be equated with self-deprecation but rather a lack of appropriate self-regard (deficiency). True pride, according to Aristotle, is a recognition and appreciation of one’s own strengths and accomplishments without excessive boasting or self-aggrandizement. It is an appropriate sense of self-worth.