Book 3 / Chapter 10
Paragraph 2 - The Scope of Temperance
Explanation - Part By Part
"Temperance must be concerned with bodily pleasures, but not all even of these; for those who delight in objects of vision, such as colours and shapes and painting, are called neither temperate nor self-indulgent; yet it would seem possible to delight even in these either as one should or to excess or to a deficient degree."
Aristotle explains that temperance, or self-restraint, is specifically connected to bodily pleasures, but not all bodily pleasures fall under its scope. For example, people who find joy in visual experiences—like appreciating colors, shapes, or works of art—are not described as temperate or self-indulgent. However, even with these visual pleasures, it's possible to enjoy them in a way that's balanced, excessive, or lacking. The point is that temperance isn't about every physical pleasure, but certain types—leaving things like visual appreciation outside its main concern. Temperance is more focused on deeper, more primal pleasures, rather than intellectual or aesthetic enjoyment.
"And so too is it with objects of hearing; no one calls those who delight extravagantly in music or acting self-indulgent, nor those who do so as they ought temperate."
Aristotle is emphasizing that temperance, as a virtue, is not about all types of pleasures, but is limited to certain specific ones, primarily bodily pleasures. Here, he talks about pleasures related to sight (like enjoying colors or art) and sound (like music or acting). While people might enjoy these things either in moderation or excessively, society doesn’t typically label someone as “temperate” or “self-indulgent” based on how much they indulge in these non-bodily pleasures. For Aristotle, enjoying these things isn't really tied to the moral framework of temperance and self-control—they don’t belong to the same ethical category as pleasures of the body, which are more closely connected to temperance.