ETHICS

This part explores different views on how people become virtuous or morally good. Some believe that goodness is something we are born with—it's just part of our nature. Others think that goodness comes from habituation, which means we develop it through repeated actions and forming habits over time. A third view is that goodness can be taught, implying that moral behavior and virtues are something we learn through instruction or education.

Aristotle is essentially saying that the role of our natural disposition—the traits or inclinations we are born with—is not something we can control. It’s like a gift that comes from outside ourselves, perhaps from some divine source, and it’s a matter of luck whether someone is born with a favorable nature that inclines them toward goodness or virtue. In other words, some people are naturally fortunate in having the right kind of character to pursue virtue, but this is not something they or anyone else can choose or influence directly.

Aristotle is saying that teaching and reasoning alone are not enough to make everyone virtuous because not everyone's soul is ready to receive and understand such guidance. Just as fertile soil is necessary to grow good seeds, a person's character must be prepared or "cultivated" through practice and habits that foster appreciation for what is good (noble joy) and rejection of what is bad (noble hatred). Without this foundational preparation, the teachings won't take root or flourish, much like trying to plant seeds in barren or rocky ground. This idea highlights the importance of building good habits and mindset early on as a kind of groundwork for moral development.

Aristotle is pointing out that a person who lets their passions—like uncontrolled desires, impulses, or emotions—drive their life is not likely to listen to reason or be influenced by logical arguments, even if those arguments are sound and rational. Such a person is so ruled by their immediate desires or feelings that they are either deaf to alternative perspectives or incapable of understanding them. Because of this, persuading someone in this state to change their behavior or adopt a more virtuous outlook becomes an incredibly difficult, if not impossible, task. It's like trying to plant seeds in soil that hasn’t been prepared—there’s no foundation for the change to take root.

Aristotle is acknowledging a fundamental limitation of human nature here: when people are overtaken by strong emotions or desires (what he refers to as "passion"), they are often not receptive to reason or logical arguments. Logic and persuasion lose their effectiveness in the face of overpowering impulses driven by emotions like anger, lust, greed, or fear. In such cases, he suggests that passion is more likely to be controlled or subdued by external constraints or forms of compulsion—what he calls "force"—rather than by rational dialogue or moral reasoning.

This points to a deeper observation about human behavior: to cultivate virtue, it's not sufficient to rely solely on intellectual arguments or education. For individuals dominated by raw emotion, structural boundaries (like societal rules, laws, or even consequences) might play a more immediate role in curbing harmful tendencies.

Aristotle is emphasizing that developing virtue isn't just about receiving knowledge or being taught; it requires a person to already possess a natural inclination—a kind of compatibility or "kinship"—with virtuous qualities. This means the person should have an inherent attraction to what is noble, good, and honorable, while rejecting and disdaining what is corrupt or morally bad. Essentially, our character and foundational disposition play a crucial role in our ability to align and resonate with virtue. Virtue, according to Aristotle, isn't something you can force onto someone who doesn't have the capacity to embrace it; they need a natural openness or alignment with virtuous ideals to begin with.