Book 5 / Chapter 9
Paragraph 7 - The Complexity of Justice and Injustice
Explanation - Part By Part
"Men think that acting unjustly is in their power, and therefore that being just is easy. But it is not; to lie with one's neighbour's wife, to wound another, to deliver a bribe, is easy and in our power, but to do these things as a result of a certain state of character is neither easy nor in our power."
Aristotle is addressing a common misconception: People often believe that acting unjustly, and by extension behaving justly, is something entirely within their control and, therefore, simple to achieve. He challenges this by pointing out that while performing unjust acts—like committing adultery, harming someone, or accepting a bribe—may be easy and technically "in our power," doing these things as a true reflection of one's inner character (or avoiding them for the same reason) is a much deeper and more complex issue. Essentially, Aristotle is saying that acting unjustly isn't just about accidental or occasional wrongful acts; it's tied to a person's moral state and habits, and cultivating virtue is far from easy.
"Similarly to know what is just and what is unjust requires, men think, no great wisdom, because it is not hard to understand the matters dealt with by the laws (though these are not the things that are just, except incidentally); but how actions must be done and distributions effected in order to be just, to know this is a greater achievement than knowing what is good for the health."
Aristotle is addressing a common misconception people have. Many think that understanding justice and injustice doesn't require much intelligence or wisdom, reasoning that laws clearly define what is fair. However, he points out that the laws themselves only touch upon justice on a surface level ("incidentally"). True justice does not come from simply following the law; it lies in understanding how actions should be carried out and how resources or rewards should be distributed in a way that is genuinely fair. This, Aristotle argues, is a much more complex and demanding task—comparable to the expertise required by a doctor to know not just which medicines (or methods like surgery) work in theory, but how, when, and for whom to apply them to actually promote health. In other words, justice requires thoughtful judgment and nuanced understanding, not just a mechanical adherence to legal rules.
"Though even there, while it is easy to know that honey, wine, hellebore, cautery, and the use of the knife are so, to know how, to whom, and when these should be applied with a view to producing health, is no less an achievement than that of being a physician."
Aristotle is drawing a parallel to make a point about justice and expertise. He’s saying that just as it’s easy to know what tools or remedies are available for health—such as honey, wine, certain medicines (like hellebore), or even using physical methods like burning (cautery) or surgery (the knife)—it’s much harder to actually know how, to whom, and when to apply them to achieve a good outcome, like restoring health. That requires skill, judgment, and deeper understanding, which is the mark of a good physician.
By analogy, Aristotle is emphasizing that while it may seem simple to know the basics of justice or injustice, understanding and applying justice correctly—in the right way, to the right people, and in the right situations—is a much greater and more challenging achievement. It’s not just a matter of knowing rules or concepts; it requires wisdom and a proper moral character.
"Again, for this very reason men think that acting unjustly is characteristic of the just man no less than of the unjust, because he would be not less but even more capable of doing each of these unjust acts; for he could lie with a woman or wound a neighbour; and the brave man could throw away his shield and turn to flight in this direction or in that."
Aristotle is addressing an interesting misconception here: people often think that a just person is equally capable of acting unjustly as an unjust person, if not more so. They assume that a just individual has all the same opportunities and abilities to commit wrongs—like lying with someone's spouse or harming their neighbor—but simply chooses not to. Similarly, he notes that a brave person is also fully capable of abandoning their shield and fleeing in battle, just like a coward would.
The key point Aristotle is challenging is the idea that having the ability to commit an unjust or cowardly act makes a just or brave person the same as someone who is actually unjust or cowardly. His argument will clarify that what defines justice and courage is not simply the capacity to act, but the character and intent behind actions. Just and brave people might have the power to commit wrongs, but it is their virtuous state of character that shapes their behavior and choices.
In short, being able to do wrong does not mean one is unjust, just as being able to run away doesn’t make one a coward—it all depends on the person's deeper moral framework and habitual disposition.
"But to play the coward or to act unjustly consists not in doing these things, except incidentally, but in doing them as the result of a certain state of character, just as to practise medicine and healing consists not in applying or not applying the knife, in using or not using medicines, but in doing so in a certain way."
This part is making an important point about the role of character and intention in actions. Aristotle is saying that being a coward or acting unjustly isn’t simply about the specific actions themselves (like running away in fear or treating someone unfairly), but rather about the deeper state of character or mindset that leads to those actions. It’s the underlying disposition or moral quality driving the behavior that defines whether it is cowardly or unjust.
He uses an analogy with medicine and healing: being a good doctor isn’t just about using tools like a knife or medicine, but about knowing the right way to use them—when, how, and for whom. Similarly, what makes someone just or unjust isn’t just the external actions they perform, but how and why they choose to do those actions, based on their moral character.