Book 7 / Chapter 4
Paragraph 3 - Incontinence and Self-Indulgence in Bodily Pleasures
Explanation - Part By Part
"But (b) of the people who are incontinent with respect to bodily enjoyments, with which we say the temperate and the self-indulgent man are concerned, he who pursues the excesses of things pleasant-and shuns those of things painful, of hunger and thirst and heat and cold and all the objects of touch and taste-not by choice but contrary to his choice and his judgement, is called incontinent, not with the qualification 'in respect of this or that', e.g. of anger, but just simply."
Aristotle is contrasting different types of incontinence (lacking self-control). Here, he focuses on people who struggle specifically with bodily pleasures and pains—the kinds of things associated with physical sensations like hunger, thirst, heat, cold, and other experiences of touch and taste. These are the pleasures and pains that the temperate (self-controlled) and self-indulgent (excessive in pleasure-seeking) people also deal with.
However, Aristotle emphasizes that someone who gives in to excessive bodily pleasures—or avoids bodily discomforts—not because they want to but rather against their better judgment, is called "incontinent" in a general sense. This means their lack of control isn't tied to a specific area like anger or ambition (where people might also lack control), but it applies to these basic, physical desires as a whole.
So, in simpler terms: if you know deep down you shouldn't eat that extra slice of cake but you do it anyway (against your better judgment), Aristotle would call that "incontinent" behavior in a straightforward, general sense.
"This is confirmed by the fact that men are called 'soft' with regard to these pleasures, but not with regard to any of the others."
Aristotle is saying that when people give in too easily to physical pleasures—like overeating, excessive drinking, or sensual indulgence—they are often labeled as "soft." This term reflects a weakness or lack of resilience in resisting these immediate bodily desires. However, this label of "softness" is not typically applied to people who struggle or fail to control themselves in areas like anger, ambition, or the pursuit of honor. The difference emphasizes how society tends to view giving in to physical pleasures as a specific kind of moral weakness, distinct from other forms of unrestrained behavior.
"And for this reason we group together the incontinent and the self-indulgent, the continent and the temperate man-but not any of these other types-because they are concerned somehow with the same pleasures and pains; but though these are concerned with the same objects, they are not similarly related to them, but some of them make a deliberate choice while the others do not."
Aristotle is making a distinction between different types of people based on how they relate to pleasures and pains, specifically bodily pleasures like hunger, thirst, and physical comfort. He explains that we tend to group people into two pairs based on how they handle these things:
1. Incontinent and self-indulgent people: These individuals are concerned with the same pleasures and pains, but in different ways. The incontinent person struggles with self-control—they act against their own judgment, pursuing excessive pleasures or avoiding discomfort even though they know it's not the right choice. On the other hand, the self-indulgent person deliberately chooses excess; they fully embrace their pursuit of pleasure without any internal conflict.
2. Continent and temperate people: Similarly, these two types also deal with pleasures and pains, but again in different ways. The continent person has desires for excess or indulgence but successfully practices self-control—they resist these urges and act in line with their reason or better judgment. Meanwhile, the temperate person doesn’t even have excessive desires in the first place; their desires are naturally well-ordered, and they align easily with what is reasonable.
Aristotle's key point is this: while these pairs of people are all dealing with the same category of pleasures and pains, the difference lies in their relationship to them—whether they act from deliberate choice, internal conflict, or natural alignment.