Book 5 / Chapter 2
Paragraph 1 - Justice as a Part of Virtue
Explanation - Part By Part
"But at all events what we are investigating is the justice which is a part of virtue; for there is a justice of this kind, as we maintain."
Here, Aristotle clarifies that while he has just discussed justice as complete virtue—a kind of all-encompassing moral excellence directed toward others—his current focus is more specific. He is now examining a particular type of justice: the kind that is not the whole of virtue but rather a specific part of it. In other words, Aristotle acknowledges that justice can be viewed in two ways: as the full expression of moral virtue in relation to others (justice as a whole), and as one specific virtue among others (justice as a part). This distinction helps focus the discussion on this narrower, more particular sense of justice.
"Similarly it is with injustice in the particular sense that we are concerned."
Aristotle is shifting the discussion to a more specific type of justice and injustice that he wants to focus on. In the broader sense, justice refers to the complete exercise of virtue in relation to others, encompassing all moral goodness. However, here, he is narrowing down to a "particular" kind of justice—one that is just a part of the larger concept of virtue. Similarly, the "particular" injustice he refers to is not the broad, all-encompassing vice but a more specialized or distinct kind of wrongdoing.
This means he's ready to zoom in on justice and injustice as specific traits or actions within society rather than discussing their universal or overarching nature. He's preparing to analyze these concepts with more precision, breaking them down into smaller, more specific manifestations.