Book 2 / Chapter 1
Paragraph 1 - The Origin and Development of Virtue
Explanation - Part By Part
"Virtue, then, being of two kinds, intellectual and moral, intellectual virtue in the main owes both its birth and its growth to teaching (for which reason it requires experience and time), while moral virtue comes about as a result of habit, whence also its name (ethike)"
In this part, Aristotle points out that there are two types of virtues: intellectual virtues and moral virtues. Intellectual virtues, like wisdom or knowledge, develop primarily through teaching, which means they require both time and experience to grow. On the other hand, moral virtues—qualities like courage or generosity—are not something we learn through direct instruction but instead develop through habit. Interestingly, Aristotle highlights that the word for moral virtue (ethike, in Greek) is connected to the word for habit (ethos), underlining this idea that moral excellence is a result of repeated actions and practice, rather than innate knowledge or instruction.
"is one that is formed by a slight variation from the word ethos (habit). From this it is also plain that none of the moral virtues arises in us by nature; for nothing that exists by nature can form a habit contrary to its nature."
Aristotle is explaining that moral virtues are tied to habits, as seen in the Greek word "ethike," which comes from "ethos," meaning habit. He clarifies that moral virtues are not something we are born with as part of our nature. Why? Because things that are natural to us behave in fixed ways and can’t easily be changed. For example, a rock naturally falls downward—it cannot be trained or "habituated" to fall upward, no matter how many times you throw it. So, virtues don’t automatically arise from our natural state. Instead, they depend on us developing them through practice and consistent effort over time.
"For instance the stone which by nature moves downwards cannot be habituated to move upwards, not even if one tries to train it by throwing it up ten thousand times; nor can fire be habituated to move downwards, nor can anything else that by nature behaves in one way be trained to behave in another."
Aristotle is giving an example to clarify his point about how virtues (specifically moral virtues) don't naturally exist within us but are developed through habit. He uses natural phenomena to make his argument: just as you can't train a stone, which naturally falls downward, to go upward by throwing it countless times, and just as fire naturally moves upward and can't be trained to move downward, certain characteristics are fixed by nature and can't be changed through effort.
In other words, virtues don't come from an innate, unchangeable part of our nature. Instead, we're like a blank slate with the potential to develop certain qualities, and it's through repeated actions (habits) that we cultivate them. By contrasting virtues with things in the natural world that are unchangeable, he's emphasizing that virtues require conscious, deliberate cultivation rather than being something automatic.
"Neither by nature, then, nor contrary to nature do the virtues arise in us; rather we are adapted by nature to receive them, and are made perfect by habit."
Aristotle is saying that moral virtues (like courage, generosity, or patience) are not something we're born with naturally, nor are they completely opposed to our natural tendencies. Instead, we are naturally designed to have the ability to develop them, but we must cultivate and perfect these virtues through repeated actions or habits. Essentially, virtues aren't automatic parts of who we are; they're skills we develop over time with intentional practice and experience.