Depth 1 · 34 s
Between two mistakes
An older boy kicks a small child's ball into the bushes. What is the brave thing for Ana to do? Aristotle's idea - a virtue sits between two mistakes, too little and too much.
About this video
In the park, Ana sees an older boy take a ball from a small child and kick it into the bushes, laughing. The child starts to cry. Ana wants to do the brave thing. But what is the brave thing? Walk away and pretend she didn't see? Run over and push the older boy? Or something else?
Aristotle noticed that each virtue can go wrong in two directions, by too little and by too much. Courage is a good example. Too little is being a coward: running away from every danger, even when something important is at stake. Too much is being reckless: rushing into danger without thinking, even when it does no good. Courage is between the two: facing danger or fear when it is worth it, in a sensible way. Aristotle called a virtue a mean, a middle point between two mistakes.
Other virtues have their extremes too. Generosity sits between being mean with money and wasting it all; honesty between hiding the truth and blurting out every unkind thought; pride in yourself between thinking you are worth nothing and boasting. For Ana, walking away would be too little courage and pushing the older boy too much. The middle might be to say clearly "Stop it - get the ball back", fetch an adult, or help the child find the ball.
The middle isn't always halfway. Aristotle said the right amount depends on the person and the situation: "at the right times, with reference to the right objects, towards the right people, with the right motive, and in the right way". If the older boy were about to hurt the child badly, much stronger action would be the middle; if he were only teasing, a few words might be. Finding it takes judgement, which comes with practice. This video goes with The Middle Way lesson of Ethics Level 1 on Knaph.
This video shows depth 1 of The middle way.
Learn The middle wayTranscript
- 0:00An older boy kicks a small child's ball into the bushes.
- 0:05Too little is a coward. Too much is reckless. Courage is between.
- 0:11Walking away is too little. Pushing him is too much. Stop it, get the ball back.
- 0:17Generosity, honesty, pride. Each sits between two mistakes.
- 0:23But the middle isn't always halfway. It depends on the situation.
- 0:29A virtue sits between two mistakes.