Abstract
Aristotle’s ethics are based on the idea that the goal of life is eudaimonia, or happiness. He believed that happiness could be achieved through a life of virtue, and that virtue was defined as the mean between two extremes. This theory is known as the Golden Mean.
Aristotle’s ethics have traditionally been analyzed largely through the subtleties of his language and are complicated by the fact that some of his central concepts are ineffable with common English vocabulary. Therefore, the term “Golden Mean” is defined as the desirable middle between the extremes of excess and deficiency.
The Golden Mean and Happiness
Aristotle believed that happiness could be achieved through a life of virtue. He argued that the virtuous person is the one who lives in accordance with reason and who is not ruled by their emotions.
In contrast to Utilitarianism and Deontology, Aristotle’s Moral Philosophy is very complex. As a result, Virtue Ethics emphasizes human behavior, while Utilitarianism and Deontology abstract heavily from it.
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Most importantly, Aristotle didn’t discount the value of anything. For example, a virtuous action ought to be both good and result in good consequences. Therefore, virtuous actions should be rational and perfectly correspond with our desires and emotions. Nevertheless, this complexity brings the Aristotelian notion of Virtue closer to our day-to-day experiences.
Furthermore, the Golden Mean is Aristotle’s theory of living a virtuous life and reaching the happy-ending goal by striking a balance between excessive and defective practices.
The Golden Mean in the Nicomachean Ethics
In the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle demonstrated that if a thing is continuous and divisible, it is possible to take more, less, or an equal portion in terms of the thing itself or relatively to us. The intermediate in the object is equidistant from each of the extremes.
However, the Golden Mean is relative to us, and neither too much nor too little action or emotion is ideal. While the middle point can differ for many, there is always a middle ground in any situation.
Practical Examples of the Golden Mean of Aristotle
For example, when sharing food among invitees of an event, one may consume two plates of food as their moderate feeding, while another may consume five. Thus, in any choice of character and action, one should avoid the excess and defect but seek the intermediate not in the object but relative to us.
In the same way, every artist does their work well by looking to the intermediate and judging them by this standard. In other words, the excess and defect destroy the goodness of works of art, while the Mean preserves it. Picture an artwork where some vital attributes are over-highlighted or under-highlighted.
It tends to lose its beauty, meaning, and essence. Therefore, Virtue has the quality of creating a balance by aiming at the intermediate. It is important to note that this type of Virtue is the Moral Virtue, for it is concerned with passions and actions, and in these, there are excess, defect, and middle grounds. For instance, it is possible to feel too much or little fear, confidence, appetite, anger, pity, or pleasure.
However, Aristotle emphasized having these feelings at the right time and with reference to the right objects. Therefore, for an action to lie in the middle, it should involve the right people, with the right motive, and in the right way. These highlighted characteristics are necessary to arrive at Virtue excellence.
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Regarding actions also, there is the excess, deficiency, and equilibrium state. In other words, Virtue is concerned with passions and actions, where excess and defect are a form of failure, while the intermediate is praised and is a form of success. It seems to me, therefore, that the Golden Mean refers to the ethics of moderation.
Where’s the Mean in the Golden Mean Theory?
It does not mean that moderation has to lie exactly at the center of the two vices. Virtue can lie anywhere in between these extremities. This Virtue is similar to technical skills, and everyone must know how not to go overboard or lag but maintain the right amount of balance.
Simply put, too much of anything leads to extremism, while too little of anything results in shortcomings. This Mean is a habit of choice guided by reason. Nevertheless, Aristotle recognized that the Golden Mean does not apply to all actions or passions. For example, spite, shamelessness, envy, adultery, theft, murder, and others do not have excesses and deficiencies because they imply badness in their nature.
On another note, there is a relationship between the Golden Mean and the Mean in Mathematics. The arithmetic Mean is the average value of a collection of numbers. For example, the Mean of the numbers 6, 23, 43, 4, and 13 is 17.8. The sum of all the numbers is divided by how many numbers are in the array. But in Aristotle’s Virtue Ethics, there is no such exactitude.
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The human virtues can, however, be averaged when plotted on a continuum of virtues and vices. So, according to Aristotle, Virtue lies in the middle (medio stat) between two opposing vices of defect and excess.
Furthermore, the definition of Virtue provided by Aristotle differs from the general understanding from a layman’s perspective, but it is more similar to how we think in the real world.
For example, we learned that generosity is the opposite of stinginess. But the Golden Mean theory of Aristotle came up with a framework that defines Virtue as the point between two faulty extremes. To give you an idea, a coward is petrified, while a foolhardy person is always fearless.
In this situation, a courageous person is one with an adequate level of fear.
In summary, Virtue Ethics was developed by Aristotle, and it is normative because of its character-based framework. One relevant advantage of being virtuous is knowing what to do in ethical dilemmas, which is taking the best moral actions and decisions.
Aristotle’s Virtue Ethics is centered on his philosophy of the Golden Mean as incorporated in book V of the Nicomachean Ethics. The Golden Mean demonstrates that Virtue lies in the middle ground between two opposing vices: the vice of deficiency and the vice of excess. Therefore, we can attain happiness by living in moderation and in relation to others.
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The Bottom Line
The Golden Mean is a complex theory, but it is a valuable tool for living a good and happy life. By avoiding extremes and finding the middle ground, we can become more virtuous people and achieve eudaimonia.
