Book 5 / Chapter 9
Paragraph 8 - The Human Essence of Justice
Explanation - Part By Part
"Just acts occur between people who participate in things good in themselves and can have too much or too little of them;"
Aristotle is saying that "just acts" only happen among people who engage with things that are inherently good—like resources, opportunities, or virtues. However, humans are capable of having too much or too little of these good things. For instance, sharing wealth or honor fairly makes sense because these things can be over-accumulated by some or completely lacking for others. Justice ensures a balanced distribution of such good things so that no one has an extreme deficiency or excess.
"for some beings (e.g. presumably the gods) cannot have too much of them, and to others, those who are incurably bad, not even the smallest share in them is beneficial but all such goods are harmful,"
Aristotle is saying here that the concept of justice and the "good things" it involves apply differently to different types of beings. For instance, there are beings, like gods, who are perfect and beyond the limitations of humans—they cannot have "too much" of good things because their nature is already complete and unchanging. They aren't subject to excess or deficiency in any meaningful way.
On the other hand, there are people who are "incurably bad," meaning their character is so deeply corrupt that even the smallest participation in "good things" (like virtues or even material benefits) ends up being harmful or misused. Rather than improving them, these goods make them worse because they lack the moral foundation to use them properly. These individuals twist what is good into something damaging due to their flawed nature.
So, Aristotle points out that justice—understood as distributing or managing these "good things" appropriately—doesn't apply the same way to beings who are perfect (like gods) or irredeemably flawed. Instead, justice is something that operates mainly within the realm of human interaction and human limitations.
"while to others they are beneficial up to a point; therefore justice is essentially something human."
Aristotle is making the point that justice is inherently a human concept, rooted in the complexities of human nature and relationships. While some good things (like wealth, honor, pleasure, or resources) benefit most people up to a certain point, they can become harmful if taken to the extreme or given to the wrong individuals. For example, too much wealth might lead to greed, or pleasure might lead to indulgence. Similarly, those who are "incurably bad" won't benefit from these good things at all, as their misuse might lead to harm. On the other end, beings like gods (in Aristotle's view) are beyond human limitations and can't have "too much" of what is good—they exist in perfect balance.
Because justice centers on distributing these goods in a balanced, fair way, it deals specifically with human limitations and needs. This is why Aristotle concludes that justice is fundamentally a human phenomenon, tied to the kinds of imperfection and moral judgment that define human life. It’s about finding the "right measure" for people who can experience both excess and deficiency.