Book 2 / Chapter 2
Paragraph 3 - The Origin, Growth, and Actualization of Virtues
Explanation - Part By Part
"But not only are the sources and causes of their origination and growth the same as those of their destruction, but also the sphere of their actualization will be the same; for this is also true of the things which are more evident to sense, e.g. of strength; it is produced by taking much food and undergoing much exertion, and it is the strong man that will be most able to do these things."
Aristotle is saying that the very things that help virtues (or qualities like courage, temperance, and strength) to come into being and grow are also the same things that can destroy them if misused. Furthermore, the "arena" or "sphere" in which virtues emerge and grow is the same one in which they thrive or fade. He uses physical strength as an example: you build strength by eating well and exercising regularly, but overdoing or neglecting these same activities can lead to weakness. Similarly, a strong person is the one most capable of continuing these productive behaviors. Essentially, the habits or actions that develop a virtue are the same habits necessary to maintain it, and misusing them risks ruining it.
"So too is it with the virtues; by abstaining from pleasures we become temperate, and it is when we have become so that we are most able to abstain from them; and similarly too in the case of courage; for by being habituated to despise things that are terrible and to stand our ground against them we become brave, and it is when we have become so that we shall be most able to stand our ground against them."
In this passage, Aristotle is explaining how virtues like temperance (self-control) and courage are developed and strengthened. He is saying that the ability to act virtuously—like resisting temptations (temperance) or confronting fears (courage)—is something that grows with practice.
For temperance, he argues that by consciously choosing to resist or abstain from pleasures, over time we train ourselves to be temperate. Once this virtue is cultivated, it becomes easier for us to consistently make those choices because we’ve formed a habit.
Similarly, with courage, it comes from regularly facing and standing firm against fears or dangers. By repeatedly confronting what is scary or difficult, we develop the inner strength and bravery to face such situations more effectively in the future.
In short, Aristotle emphasizes that practice builds virtue, and once we develop a virtue, living it out becomes even more natural in our daily lives. Virtue is both a product of habit and something that habit sustains.