Book 6 / Chapter 5
Paragraph 1 - The Nature and Role of Practical Wisdom
Explanation - Part By Part
"Regarding practical wisdom we shall get at the truth by considering who are the persons we credit with it. Now it is thought to be the mark of a man of practical wisdom to be able to deliberate well about what is good and expedient for himself, not in some particular respect, e.g. about what sorts of thing conduce to health or to strength, but about what sorts of thing conduce to the good life in general."
Aristotle is exploring the idea of practical wisdom (known as phronesis in Greek), which is a kind of intelligence or virtue concerned with living well. He argues that someone with practical wisdom isn't just skilled at figuring out what’s good or beneficial in specific areas—like how to stay healthy or get stronger—but is adept at discerning what leads to a good life as a whole. It’s not merely about succeeding in isolated matters; it’s about the broader ability to make choices and take actions that contribute to living a fulfilled and meaningful existence. This is why practical wisdom is highly valued—it deals with what it means to live well in the most comprehensive sense.
"This is shown by the fact that we credit men with practical wisdom in some particular respect when they have calculated well with a view to some good end which is one of those that are not the object of any art. It follows that in the general sense also the man who is capable of deliberating has practical wisdom."
Aristotle is pointing out that we recognize people as having practical wisdom when they can think through and plan effectively toward achieving a good outcome, particularly when the goal they are pursuing is beyond the scope of any specific skill or craft (what Aristotle calls "art"). For example, a doctor may skillfully deliberate about health or a carpenter about building something, but practical wisdom (or phronesis, as Aristotle calls it) goes beyond this—it involves thoughtful decision-making about living well as a whole.
Therefore, someone who can deliberate thoughtfully, not just about technical or specialized matters, but about life in general—what truly contributes to a good and fulfilling life—is understood to possess practical wisdom. This ability to deliberate is central to making wise choices that lead to living well.
"Now no one deliberates about things that are invariable, nor about things that it is impossible for him to do. Therefore, since scientific knowledge involves demonstration, but there is no demonstration of things whose first principles are variable (for all such things might actually be otherwise), and since it is impossible to deliberate about things that are of necessity, practical wisdom cannot be scientific knowledge nor art; not science because that which can be done is capable of being otherwise, not art because action and making are different kinds of thing."
This part is focusing on defining what practical wisdom (phronesis) is not by narrowing down its nature compared to other forms of knowledge or skill. Aristotle says that we don’t deliberate (i.e., carefully think through options) about things that are fixed or unchangeable (like math or scientific principles) or about things that we are incapable of influencing. Deliberation is only relevant to things that can happen in more than one way (things that are variable) and that are within our capacity to act upon.
Because of this, Aristotle argues that practical wisdom cannot be the same as scientific knowledge (episteme), which is about things that are unchanging and can be proven through demonstration (like facts or universal principles). It’s also not an art (technē), which is focused on "making" or creating something external to the person (like building a bridge, painting a picture, or crafting an object). The key reason here is the difference between acting and making—they are distinct processes.
Practical wisdom, therefore, must belong to a different category—neither focused on proving fixed facts (scientific knowledge) nor producing external creations (art). It's about making decisions and taking actions in situations involving human choices, where outcomes can vary depending on what we do.
"The remaining alternative, then, is that it is a true and reasoned state of capacity to act with regard to the things that are good or bad for man. For while making has an end other than itself, action cannot; for good action itself is its end."
Aristotle is distinguishing between making (creating something, like building a house) and acting (doing something, like making a decision or performing a moral deed). He explains that making always has a purpose beyond itself—its completion is tied to the product it creates (e.g., the house). However, action is different because its purpose is inherent in the action itself. In other words, a "good action" doesn’t exist for the sake of producing something else—it is valuable simply because it is a good action.
For example, helping someone in need isn’t done to “create” some external product; the act of helping is meaningful and complete on its own. This idea underscores the point that practical wisdom (the ability to act well) is deeply tied to understanding and choosing actions that align with what is good for humans.
"It is for this reason that we think Pericles and men like him have practical wisdom, viz. because they can see what is good for themselves and what is good for men in general; we consider that those can do this who are good at managing households or states."
Aristotle is explaining why individuals like Pericles, a prominent statesman of ancient Athens, are considered to embody practical wisdom (phronesis). Practical wisdom is not just about personal benefit; it involves the ability to understand and effectively manage what is good not only for oneself but also for others. Aristotle is highlighting that this quality is especially evident in individuals who excel at governing or managing communities, households, or states. In modern terms, these are the people who demonstrate both insight and good judgment in navigating complex decisions that impact both their own lives and the well-being of others.
"(This is why we call temperance (sophrosune) by this name; we imply that it preserves one's practical wisdom (sozousa tan phronsin)."
Aristotle is making a connection between temperance (or self-control, "sophrosune" in Greek) and practical wisdom (phronesis). He suggests that temperance helps to "preserve" practical wisdom. In other words, self-control plays a critical role in allowing a person to make good, reasoned decisions about what is beneficial or harmful in life.
Without temperance, a person's judgment can be clouded by pleasures or pains—they might be overwhelmed by desires or aversions, which would distort their ability to think clearly about what actions lead to a good life. Therefore, temperance acts as a safeguard, ensuring that one’s ability to deliberate and reason well (practical wisdom) remains intact.
Essentially, Aristotle is highlighting that emotional balance—not being overrun by passions like pleasure-seeking—supports clear-headed reasoning and the ability to act wisely.
"Now what it preserves is a judgement of the kind we have described. For it is not any and every judgement that pleasant and painful objects destroy and pervert, e.g. the judgement that the triangle has or has not its angles equal to two right angles, but only judgements about what is to be done."
Aristotle is pointing out that pleasant and painful things (like pleasure, desire, or fear) can distort or corrupt a specific kind of judgment—judgments about actions and decisions, or what we should do. This doesn't apply to every type of judgment, though. For example, purely factual or mathematical truths, like whether a triangle's angles add up to two right angles, remain unaffected by pleasure or pain. However, when it comes to making decisions about action—what is right, good, or wise to do—those judgments are vulnerable to being swayed or corrupted by emotions, pleasures, and discomforts.
In essence, he's emphasizing that practical judgment, the kind we need to live well and choose wisely, is susceptible to emotional interference, which is why virtues like temperance (self-control) are important to maintain sound decision-making.
"For the originating causes of the things that are done consist in the end at which they are aimed; but the man who has been ruined by pleasure or pain forthwith fails to see any such originating cause-to see that for the sake of this or because of this he ought to choose and do whatever he chooses and does; for vice is destructive of the originating cause of action.)"
This part is making an important point about decision-making and how emotions like pleasure and pain can cloud our judgment. Aristotle is saying that all actions have a purpose or an "originating cause"—a reason or goal that directs why we choose to do something. For a person to act wisely, they need to see and understand this cause clearly: why they are doing something and what they are aiming to achieve.
However, when someone is overcome by excessive pleasure or pain, they lose the ability to perceive this cause properly. They stop thinking clearly about why they are making a choice or how it serves a meaningful goal. Instead, their decisions are driven by momentary feelings. This is where vice (bad moral habits) enters the picture: it corrupts our ability to judge what actions are truly good or right.
In short, Aristotle is warning that unchecked pleasure or pain can destroy the very reasoning process we need to make good choices. Without clarity about an action's true purpose, we become guided by impulses rather than wisdom. This damage to our reasoning is what vice ultimately causes.
"Practical wisdom, then, must be a reasoned and true state of capacity to act with regard to human goods."
This part highlights that practical wisdom (often referred to as phronesis in Aristotle's terms) is the ability to think and act rationally and correctly in situations that involve human well-being. In simpler terms, it’s about having the judgment and skills to make decisions that promote the overall "good life." It’s not just about knowing what is moral or beneficial in theory; it’s about being able to apply that knowledge in real-life actions that align with what is best for humanity. This is what distinguishes practical wisdom—it turns deep reasoning into rightful action aimed at human flourishing.
"But further, while there is such a thing as excellence in art, there is no such thing as excellence in practical wisdom; and in art he who errs willingly is preferable, but in practical wisdom, as in the virtues, he is the reverse."
Aristotle is making a distinction between art (or skill) and practical wisdom (phronesis). In art, someone who makes a mistake on purpose can still show a kind of mastery because their intent or skill may be evident, even if they make an error. For example, a painter might deliberately break conventional "rules" of art to create something unique—this could still be seen as excellent.
However, this is not the case with practical wisdom. Practical wisdom is about making good decisions and acting in ways that lead to a virtuous and fulfilling life. Here, intentional errors or bad choices are fundamentally contrary to the purpose of practical wisdom. To knowingly do something wrong in matters of virtue and ethics shows a lack of wisdom, not excellence. In essence, Aristotle is saying that in practical wisdom, doing the right thing deliberately is essential, and willfully choosing otherwise is the opposite of excellence.
"Plainly, then, practical wisdom is a virtue and not an art."
Aristotle is making a clear distinction here: practical wisdom (phronesis) is not the same thing as art (techne). Art involves a skill or craft used to create something—its focus is on producing an external result, like building a house or painting a picture. Practical wisdom, on the other hand, is a virtue, meaning it pertains to how we live and act, especially in matters of what is good or right for a well-lived life. It's not about "making" something external but about acting well in the context of human life.
"There being two parts of the soul that can follow a course of reasoning, it must be the virtue of one of the two, i.e. of that part which forms opinions; for opinion is about the variable and so is practical wisdom."
In this part, Aristotle explains that the soul has two parts capable of reasoning or rational thought. One part is responsible for forming opinions—judgments about things that could be otherwise, things that are not unchangeable or absolute. This is directly related to what he has been discussing about practical wisdom (phronesis), which deals with variable, situational matters like human actions and decisions, as opposed to immutable truths or scientific knowledge. Since practical wisdom is concerned with navigating and making choices in situations that can change, it aligns with this part of the soul that deals with opinions about variable realities.
"But yet it is not only a reasoned state; this is shown by the fact that a state of that sort may forgotten but practical wisdom cannot."
Aristotle is clarifying an important distinction about practical wisdom (phronesis). He explains that practical wisdom is not just a purely "reasoned state," meaning it doesn’t exist simply as intellectual reasoning or abstract knowledge that can be learned and later forgotten, like a skill or a fact. Instead, practical wisdom is something more enduring and deeply ingrained.
He suggests that practical wisdom is tied to a person’s character, experience, and moral understanding. Unlike theoretical knowledge or technical expertise that can fade from memory, practical wisdom has a lasting nature because it is rooted in lived experience and moral judgment. It is not something you acquire temporarily and then lose—it becomes a part of your very being, shaping how you act and deliberate about what is good and right.