Book 6 / Chapter 2
Paragraph 2 - Affirmation, Negation, and Moral Virtue in Desire and Reasoning
Explanation - Part By Part
"What affirmation and negation are in thinking, pursuit and avoidance are in desire; so that since moral virtue is a state of character concerned with choice, and choice is deliberate desire, therefore both the reasoning must be true and the desire right, if the choice is to be good, and the latter must pursue just what the former asserts."
Aristotle is comparing the way our minds work in thinking and in desiring. In thinking, we "affirm" or "deny" something—basically saying something is true or false. In desire, this same role is played by "pursuit" (going after something) and "avoidance" (staying away from something). Just like we decide what to think, we also decide what to desire or reject.
Now, Aristotle points out that moral virtue involves choice. But choice isn’t just a random impulse—it's deliberate desire. This means that desire is guided by careful reasoning. For a choice to be morally good, two things must come together:
1. Reason must guide us toward something true or correct.
2. Desire must aim at the right thing—something virtuous or worthwhile.
In other words, your desire (what you want) should align with what reason tells you is good, and then your actions should follow that harmony between reason and desire.
"Now this kind of intellect and of truth is practical; of the intellect which is contemplative, not practical nor productive, the good and the bad state are truth and falsity respectively (for this is the work of everything intellectual); while of the part which is practical and intellectual the good state is truth in agreement with right desire."
Aristotle is distinguishing between different parts of the human intellect and how they relate to "truth" and living a good life. He’s pointing out that there are two main divisions of intellect:
1. The contemplative intellect: This part is focused on understanding the world at a theoretical level. It’s not about doing things (practical) or making things (productive), but simply about contemplating knowledge and truth. For this type of intellect, the "good state" is achieving truth (understanding things as they truly are), while the "bad state" is falling into falsity (misunderstanding or holding false beliefs).
2. The practical intellect: This part is concerned with guiding actions and decisions in life. It’s about applying reasoning to make good choices. For this type of intellect, the "good state" comes when truth (accurate reasoning) aligns with "right desire"—our desires being directed toward what is morally and ethically right. In other words, good practical intellect involves using reason correctly in harmony with the desire for good outcomes.
In summary, the contemplative intellect seeks truth for its own sake, while the practical intellect focuses on truth that leads to right action. Together, they help us both understand the world and act rightly within it.