Book 3 / Chapter 5
Paragraph 7 - The Voluntary Nature of Virtue and Vice
Explanation - Part By Part
"Whether, then, it is not by nature that the end appears to each man such as it does appear, but something also depends on him, or the end is natural but because the good man adopts the means voluntarily virtue is voluntary, vice also will be none the less voluntary;"
Aristotle is grappling with the idea of responsibility for moral choices and actions, particularly whether virtue (goodness) and vice (badness) are voluntary. He considers two possibilities:
1. The end (the ultimate purpose or goal someone pursues) is not entirely determined by nature but partly shaped by the individual. This would mean people have a role in how they perceive "the end" — what appears desirable or good to them isn't purely fixed but influenced by their choices, habits, or character.
2. The end is natural (fixed by nature), but the moral person voluntarily chooses the right means to achieve it. Here, even if someone's ultimate goal is set by their nature, the virtue of the good person comes from their deliberate and voluntary choice of the proper steps to reach that goal.
In either case, Aristotle concludes that vice is just as voluntary as virtue. This means bad actions and bad states of character (vices) are not something people are forced into by circumstances or nature; just as we are responsible for our pursuit of virtue, we are equally responsible for our vices, since they, too, depend on our choices and how we act over time. This emphasizes human accountability for moral conduct, whether good or bad.
"for in the case of the bad man there is equally present that which depends on himself in his actions even if not in his end."
This part emphasizes personal responsibility in the case of a bad person. Even if the ultimate "end" or goal (what seems desirable or good to them) is not entirely under their control—perhaps shaped by nature, upbringing, or circumstances—there is still an element of choice in the actions they take to achieve that goal. Their behavior, shaped by their decisions and character, is still something that depends on them. In other words, while their overall perspective on what is good might be less controllable, they are still responsible for their voluntary actions, which reflect their moral character.
"If, then, as is asserted, the virtues are voluntary (for we are ourselves somehow partly responsible for our states of character, and it is by being persons of a certain kind that we assume the end to be so and so), the vices also will be voluntary;"
Here, Aristotle is making an important philosophical claim about human responsibility and choice, specifically regarding virtue (good habits or moral excellence) and vice (bad habits or moral flaws). He argues that if virtues are considered voluntary—meaning that people are at least partly responsible for their own character and the way they shape themselves through their actions and decisions—then vices must also be voluntary for the same reason.
In other words, if we accept that individuals have control over their moral growth and choose to act in ways that develop virtues (like courage or generosity), it follows that people are also responsible for the opposite: choosing actions or lifestyles that lead to vices (such as cowardice or greed). Both require a kind of ownership of one's character, as they result from the choices a person makes over time, even if shaped by certain natural tendencies or external conditions.
Aristotle is emphasizing that moral responsibility applies to both virtue and vice because both depend on the choices we make in relation to the kind of person we want to become. This strengthens the idea that people are accountable for their moral character.
"for the same is true of them."
Aristotle is arguing that both virtue (goodness) and vice (badness) are voluntary because they stem from the same source: the responsibility each person has for their own character and choices. If we accept that virtues (positive traits and actions) are voluntary because they depend on our character and decisions, then the same logic applies to vices (negative traits and actions). Essentially, just as people shape their own virtues through their behavior and mindset, they also bear responsibility for their vices because those too arise from their character and choices.