Read Books VII and VIII
Content Summary for Teachers
Book VII
Book VII turns from good types of character to bad types of character, specifically vice (the opposite of virtue), incontinence (the opposite of continence), and brutishness (the opposite of godlike virtue).
Aristotle relates incontinence with softness, and more specifically “effeminacy.” Continence and endurance are its opposites. This bad character is complex, and made all the more unclear because of popular assumptions.
To address this issue, he seeks to categorize different forms of incontinence. Incontinence can occur when a person acts without thought, even if they know the difference between good and bad. Incontinence...
