Book 2 / Chapter 5
Paragraph 2 - The Distinction Between Virtues, Vices, and Passions
Explanation - Part By Part
"Now neither the virtues nor the vices are passions, because we are not called good or bad on the ground of our passions, but are so called on the ground of our virtues and our vices,"
Aristotle is saying that virtues (positive traits) and vices (negative traits) are not the same as emotions or feelings (what he calls "passions"). Why? Because people are not judged as good or bad just based on how they feel. For example, feeling angry, afraid, or happy doesn’t automatically make someone a good or bad person. Instead, people are judged as good or bad based on their character—specifically, their virtues (like courage or honesty) or their vices (like greed or cowardice). Virtues and vices are tied to how we act and behave in response to those feelings, not the feelings themselves.
"and because we are neither praised nor blamed for our passions (for the man who feels fear or anger is not praised, nor is the man who simply feels anger blamed, but the man who feels it in a certain way), but for our virtues and our vices we are praised or blamed."
Aristotle is emphasizing that our emotions (like fear or anger), which he refers to as "passions," aren’t inherently good or bad in themselves. People don’t get moral credit or blame just for feeling something like anger or fear—it’s normal to have emotions. What matters is how we handle and express these emotions.
For instance, feeling anger isn’t praiseworthy or blameworthy by itself. However, if someone reacts to anger in a way that's balanced and appropriate, they might be seen as virtuous. If they lash out in an extreme or uncontrolled way (or suppress anger when it's needed), they might be seen as acting viciously or wrongly. It's the way we handle our feelings—through our virtues or vices—that leads others to judge us positively or negatively.