Book 3 / Chapter 2
Paragraph 4 - The Distinction Between Wish and Choice
Explanation - Part By Part
"But neither is it wish, though it seems near to it; for choice cannot relate to impossibles, and if any one said he chose them he would be thought silly; but there may be a wish even for impossibles, e.g. for immortality."
Aristotle is explaining that "choice" and "wish" are not the same thing, even though they appear similar. A crucial difference lies in their relationship to what is possible. Choice is grounded in practicality—it relates to things we can actually accomplish. If someone were to say they "chose" something that is impossible, like becoming immortal, they would seem unreasonable or foolish. On the other hand, it is entirely normal to "wish" for something impossible, such as immortality, because a wish does not depend on the limitations of reality or what can reasonably be done. Choice, in contrast, is tied to action within the boundaries of what is possible.
"And wish may relate to things that could in no way be brought about by one's own efforts, e.g. that a particular actor or athlete should win in a competition; but no one chooses such things, but only the things that he thinks could be brought about by his own efforts."
In this part, Aristotle is differentiating between wishing and choosing. He explains that we might wish for things that are completely outside of our control, like wanting a particular actor or athlete to win a competition. These are outcomes that we have no power to influence directly. By contrast, choosing involves focusing only on things that we believe we can affect or achieve through our own actions. In short, choice is tied to our personal agency, while wish can extend to outcomes far beyond our reach.
"Again, wish relates rather to the end, choice to the means; for instance, we wish to be healthy, but we choose the acts which will make us healthy, and we wish to be happy and say we do, but we cannot well say we choose to be so; for, in general, choice seems to relate to the things that are in our own power."
In this part, Aristotle makes an important distinction between "wish" and "choice." A wish is focused on the ultimate goal or end we desire, while choice is about selecting the specific steps or means to achieve that goal. For example, we might wish to be healthy, but we make choices about what we do—like eating nutritious food or exercising—to bring that wish to life. Similarly, we wish to be happy, but happiness isn't something we directly choose in itself; instead, it's the result of making good choices in pursuit of things within our power.
The key idea here is that choice is tied to actions we can actively control. In contrast, a wish might extend to things beyond our control, like imagining an idealized future or desiring something inherently impossible. By emphasizing this distinction, Aristotle highlights that living a good life depends not just on what we wish for, but on making deliberate, responsible choices within the realm of what we can influence.