Book 2 / Chapter 3
Paragraph 6 - The Challenge of Pleasure vs. Virtue
Explanation - Part By Part
"Again, it is harder to fight with pleasure than with anger, to use Heraclitus' phrase', but both art and virtue are always concerned with what is harder; for even the good is better when it is harder."
Aristotle is pointing out that it is more challenging to resist the lure of pleasure than to control anger, referencing a phrase from Heraclitus. The reason for this emphasis lies in the difficulty itself: both art (the mastery of skills) and virtue (moral excellence) focus on tasks that are inherently tougher. Aristotle implies that the value of "the good" increases when it demands greater effort, discipline, and strength to achieve. This ties directly to his larger argument about virtue requiring deliberate action and resistance to impulses that might lead us astray, such as the pursuit of unchecked pleasure.
"Therefore for this reason also the whole concern both of virtue and of political science is with pleasures and pains; for the man who uses these well will be good, he who uses them badly bad."
In this part, Aristotle is emphasizing the crucial role that pleasure and pain play in our moral and ethical development. He is saying that virtues (how we act rightly) and political science (the art of governing people well) both revolve around understanding and managing pleasures and pains.
Why? Because how we respond to pleasure and pain greatly impacts our character:
- If someone handles pleasures and pains wisely, they are likely to become a good person. This means they know how to enjoy the right things in the right way while avoiding harmful indulgences and handling difficulties or discomfort properly.
- If someone handles pleasures and pains poorly, they are likely to become a bad or immoral person. For example, indulging in too much pleasure could make someone reckless, just as avoiding all hardship might make them weak or cowardly.
In short, mastering the balance between pleasure and pain is a key part of becoming a virtuous person and making society run well.