The Noble is that which is desirable… and also worthy of
praise; or that which is both good and also pleasant… If this is true of the
definition of the Noble, it also follows that virtue must be noble, since it is
both a good thing and also praiseworthy.
Virtue is, according to the usual view, a faculty of providing and
preserving good things; or a faculty of conferring many great benefits, and
benefits of all kinds on all occasions.
The forms of Virtue are justice, courage, temperance, magnificence,
magnanimity, liberality, gentleness, prudence, wisdom. If virtue is a faculty of beneficence, the
highest kinds of it must be those which must be useful to others, and for this
reason men honor most the just and the courageous, since courage is useful to
others in war, justice in both war and peace.
Next come liberality; liberal people let their money go instead of
fighting for it whereas other people care more for money than anything
else. Justice is the virtue through
which everybody enjoys his own possessions in accordance with the law; its
opposite is injustice through which men enjoy the possessions of others in
defiance of the law. Courage is the virtue
that disposes men to do noble deeds in situations of danger, in accordance with
the law, and in obedience to its commands; cowardice is the opposite.
Temperance is the virtue that disposes us to obey the law where physical
pleasures are concerned; incontinence is the opposite. Liberality disposes us to spend money for
others’ good; illiberality is the opposite.
Magnanimity is the virtue that disposes us to do good to others on a
large scale; [its opposite is meanness of spirit]. Magnificence is a virtue productive of
greatness in matters involving the spending of money. The opposites of these two are smallness of
spirit and meanness respectively.
Prudence is that virtue of the understanding which enables men to come
to wise decisions about the relation to happiness of the goods and evils that
have been previously mentioned.
1) How does Aristotle define “The Noble”? Answer in your
notes.
2) What is “Virtue” according to Aristotle? Answer in your notes.
3) List the forms of Virtue on the spaces below.
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4) What are vices listed in the above text? A vice is the
opposite of a virtue.
Injustice (justice)
Incontinence (temperance)
harshness (gentleness)
foolishness (wisdom)
cowardice (courage)
magnificence (dullness)
recklessness (prudence)
uncharitableness (magnanimity)
liberality (selfishness)
HWK: In your own handwriting, define all the forms of virtue
you listed, the vices, and beneficence. Use a dictionary to define not the
above text.
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