The Ethics of Aristotle - Penn State Hazleton

The Ethics of Aristotleis right, be it on the side of too much or too little, is notBOOK IIIblamed, only he who makes a considerable one; for he cannotescape observation. But to what point or degree a manImust err in order to incur blame, it is not easy to determineexactly in words: nor in fact any of those points which are NOW SINCE VIRTUE is concerned with the regulation of feelingsand actions, and praise and blame arise upon such as arematter of perception by the Moral Sense: such questions arematters of detail, and the decision of them rests with the voluntary, while for the involuntary allowance is made, andMoral Sense.sometimes compassion is excited, it is perhaps a necessaryAt all events thus much is plain, that the mean state is in task for those who are investigating the nature of Virtue toall things praiseworthy, and that practically we must deflect draw out the distinction between what is voluntary and whatsometimes towards excess sometimes towards defect, because involuntary; and it is certainly useful for legislators, with respectto the assigning of honours and punishments.this will be the easiest method of hitting on the mean, thatis, on what is right.IIIInvoluntary actions then are thought to be of two kinds,being done either on compulsion, or by reason of ignorance.An action is, properly speaking, compulsory, when the originationis external to the agent, being such that in it the agent(perhaps we may more properly say the patient) contributes57