Summary of El justo medio, la virtud, la ética, los extremos, los excesos (Aristóteles)

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Aristotle's philosophy of the just mean is a theory that virtue is located in the middle of two extremes. He argues that the just mean is the median between two vices, two pleasures, or two passions. His book Ethics primarily discusses this idea in Book 2. Aristotle's theory is still accepted and has a lot of validity today.

• 00:00:00 Aristotle's philosophy of the just mean is still accepted and has a lot of validity today. He argued that virtue was located in the middle of two extremes, the good being consisting of choosing between two undesirable extremes without excess or deficiency. This idea is presented in his book Ethics, primarily in Book 2. Aristotle defines virtue as a disposition to decide on the appropriate mean between too much or too little, in accordance with a prudent man's criterion. Next, he defines the just mean or median as that which is the same as what dictates the same of both extremes, and this is one and the same for everyone. He calls this the median or center point between two vices, one being excessive and the other deficient. The just mean is also the median or center point between two pleasures, one being too much and the other too little. It is also the median or center point between two passions, one being excessive and the other not reaching the proper limit. In Book 2, Aristotle discusses the Stagirita, a school of thought he opposed vehemently with the Cynics. The Stagirita argued that pleasure was the only good, and that virtue consisted of reaching the middle point between madness and cowardice. Aristoteles clarifies
• 00:05:00 Aristotle discusses the idea of "the just medium," or the middle way, which is something that is only accessible to those who have been trained to pursue it. It is also easy to anger oneself, and it is something that anyone can do. Similarly, giving and spending money can be easy, but it is important to give it to those who deserve it and in the right amount and at the right time.