Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics, Books Ii--iv: Tr... May 2026

Aristotle investigates the conditions under which we are responsible for our actions and details the first two specific virtues. Voluntary vs. Involuntary Action

This guide covers Books II through IV of Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics , focusing on the edition translated with commentary by C.C.W. Taylor . 🏛️ Book II: The Nature of Virtue

Aristotle establishes that moral virtue is not innate but is acquired through —by repeatedly doing virtuous acts until they become part of one's character. Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics, Books II--IV: Tr...

: Acts originating in the agent with knowledge of the circumstances.

: Acts done under compulsion or through ignorance (specifically of particular facts). Aristotle investigates the conditions under which we are

: Intellectual (taught) and Moral (habituated).

: The mean regarding bodily pleasures (specifically touch and taste). The temperate person desires pleasant things in the right amount and manner. Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle | Book 2 Taylor

: We deliberate about means , not ends . Choice is "deliberate desire" for things in our power. The First Specific Virtues