Book 6 / Chapter 9
Paragraph 1 - Excellence in Deliberation
Explanation - Part By Part
"There is a difference between inquiry and deliberation; for deliberation is inquiry into a particular kind of thing."
Aristotle is distinguishing between two mental activities: "inquiry," which is a general search for knowledge or understanding, and "deliberation," which is more specific. Deliberation focuses on figuring out how to act or decide in a particular situation. It’s not just about gathering information but about working through a specific type of question—namely, what to do in a given circumstance.
"We must grasp the nature of excellence in deliberation as well whether it is a form of scientific knowledge, or opinion, or skill in conjecture, or some other kind of thing."
Aristotle is urging us to understand what "excellence in deliberation" really is. He's asking whether it belongs to one of the familiar categories of mental abilities, like scientific knowledge (where we deeply know and understand something), opinion (a personal belief or viewpoint), or skill in conjecture (an ability to make quick guesses or predictions). Or perhaps, he suggests, it’s something entirely distinct—something different from these common forms of mental activity.
"Scientific knowledge it is not; for men do not inquire about the things they know about, but good deliberation is a kind of deliberation, and he who deliberates inquires and calculates."
Aristotle is clarifying that "good deliberation"—the ability to think carefully and make sound decisions—is not the same as scientific knowledge. Why? Because scientific knowledge deals with things we already know with certainty; there’s no need to question or investigate these. Deliberation, on the other hand, requires active inquiry and calculation because it focuses on figuring out what to do in a specific situation. It’s about carefully considering your options and reasoning through them, not relying on established, unquestionable facts.
"Nor is it skill in conjecture; for this both involves no reasoning and is something that is quick in its operation, while men deliberate a long time, and they say that one should carry out quickly the conclusions of one's deliberation, but should deliberate slowly."
Aristotle is making a distinction between "skill in conjecture" and the process of deliberation. Skill in conjecture is a quick, almost instinctive way of arriving at an idea or conclusion without much reasoning involved—it’s like a gut feeling or snap judgment. However, deliberation is the exact opposite. It requires careful reasoning and takes time because it involves thoroughly thinking through the matter, weighing options, and calculating the best course of action. People say you should act quickly once you've made a decision, but the process of deciding (deliberation) needs to be slow and methodical to get it right.
"Again, readiness of mind is different from excellence in deliberation; it is a sort of skill in conjecture. Nor again is excellence in deliberation opinion of any sort."
Aristotle is making a critical distinction here between different mental processes. He points out that "readiness of mind," which refers to a person's quickness in making educated guesses or snap judgments (what he calls "skill in conjecture"), is not the same as "excellence in deliberation." Excellence in deliberation, for Aristotle, is not about being fast or instinctively guessing well.
He further clarifies that excellence in deliberation is also not simply a form of "opinion." Opinions are more about holding a belief or judgment about something, while deliberation involves a rational process of careful thought aimed at considering and deciding the best course of action. In other words, deliberation requires reasoning, not just rapid intuition or pre-formed beliefs.
"But since the man who deliberates badly makes a mistake, while he who deliberates well does so correctly, excellence in deliberation is clearly a kind of correctness, but neither of knowledge nor of opinion; for there is no such thing as correctness of knowledge (since there is no such thing as error of knowledge), and correctness of opinion is truth; and at the same time everything that is an object of opinion is already determined."
In this part, Aristotle explains what "excellence in deliberation" (or good decision-making) is by contrasting it with other intellectual qualities like knowledge and opinion. Here's the core of what he’s saying:
- When someone deliberates badly, they make mistakes. On the other hand, when someone deliberates well, their reasoning is correct. So, good deliberation is a type of correctness.
- However, this correctness isn’t the same as what we find in knowledge. Why? Because knowledge, for Aristotle, is certain, fixed, and error-proof; there’s no such thing as "correct" or "incorrect" knowledge because it’s not something you can mess up—it’s just true.
- Correctness in deliberation also isn’t the same as correctness in opinion. Opinion relates more to subjective beliefs, and if an opinion is correct, it simply means it’s true. But opinion, unlike deliberation, deals with things that are already settled or determined.
What Aristotle is emphasizing is that deliberation isn’t about knowing fixed truths (knowledge) or holding correct beliefs (opinion). Instead, it’s about a process—a practical reasoning or mental effort aimed at figuring out and choosing the best course of action in situations that are not predetermined.
"But again excellence in deliberation involves reasoning."
Aristotle is emphasizing that "excellence in deliberation" inherently requires reasoning. In other words, the process of deliberating well (making thoughtful, informed decisions) is not random or instinctive. It relies on the ability to think through situations logically, weigh options, and analyze outcomes. This reasoning process is distinct from simple guesswork, quick instinct, or blind opinion—deliberation demands a conscious and methodical approach to arriving at the correct or most effective decision.
"The remaining alternative, then, is that it is correctness of thinking; for this is not yet assertion, since, while even opinion is not inquiry but has reached the stage of assertion, the man who is deliberating, whether he does so well or ill, is searching for something and calculating."
Aristotle is exploring what it means to deliberate well—or to have excellence in deliberation. After ruling out other possibilities (scientific knowledge, skill in guessing, quick intuition, or even opinion), he concludes that it must involve "correctness of thinking." This means that when someone is deliberating, they are still in the process of exploring and figuring something out. They haven't yet reached a firm conclusion or made a decision (unlike forming an opinion, which is a settled assertion). Instead, deliberation is an ongoing process of reasoning—thinking carefully and calculating—to find the best course of action.
In essence, Aristotle is highlighting that deliberation is about the thoughtful process itself rather than just the outcome. It’s about reasoning well to determine what one ought to do, not about immediately claiming certainty or forming a rigid stance.