Book 7 / Chapter 5
Paragraph 1 - Pleasantness and States of Character
Explanation - Part By Part
"Some things are pleasant by nature, and of these (a) some are so without qualification, and (b) others are so with reference to particular classes either of animals or of men."
Aristotle is categorizing pleasures here. He’s saying that some things are universally pleasant by nature—meaning they are inherently enjoyable, regardless of context or individual differences. These pleasures are "pleasant without qualification," or pleasant in a universal and natural sense.
On the other hand, there are other things that are only pleasant to certain groups—either specific animals or specific kinds of people. These are not universally pleasant but are instead dependent on the nature or habits of the particular group experiencing them. So, what might seem enjoyable to one species or culture might not be enjoyable—or even understandable—to another.
"Others are not pleasant by nature, but (a) some of them become so by reason of injuries to the system, and (b) others by reason of acquired habits, and (c) others by reason of originally bad natures."
Aristotle is explaining that not all pleasures are naturally good or universally pleasing. Instead, some things that people find pleasurable arise from different factors that distort or deviate from natural inclinations. He breaks these factors into three categories:
1. Injuries to the system (a): Some things become pleasurable due to physical or psychological harm or disorders. For instance, people with an addiction might derive pleasure from substances that are harmful, because their bodies or minds have been negatively altered. What is "pleasurable" in these cases is a result of some kind of damage, not of natural, healthy desires.
2. Acquired habits (b): Other pleasures emerge from behaviors or customs people develop over time, often due to repeated actions or societal influences. For example, someone might grow to enjoy something that was initially unpleasant, simply because they've done it so much or because their culture regards it as desirable, even if it's not inherently good or enjoyable.
3. Originally bad natures (c): Finally, some pleasures come from a person's innate tendencies that are flawed or harmful. These are pleasures rooted in a person's base or "bad" nature, which might incline them toward things that are destructive or immoral.
Aristotle highlights that not all pleasure is inherently good—sometimes it's the result of damage, habit, or flawed nature. This distinction helps clarify why some seemingly pleasurable behaviors or desires are actually harmful or wrong.
"This being so, it is possible with regard to each of the latter kinds to discover similar states of character to those recognized with regard to the former; I mean (A) the brutish states, as in the case of the female who, they say, rips open pregnant women and devours the infants, or of the things in which some of the tribes about the Black Sea that have gone savage are said to delight-in raw meat or in human flesh, or in lending their children to one another to feast upon-or of the story told of Phalaris."
Aristotle is addressing the idea that certain extreme forms of behavior and desire fall outside the scope of what is typically human. He refers to "brutish states," which are essentially behaviors or tendencies that are so perverse or monstrous they seem more animalistic or subhuman than human.
To illustrate this concept, he gives some shocking examples: there’s a legendary story of a woman who rips open pregnant women and eats their babies, tribal practices around the Black Sea involving cannibalism or other gruesome customs, and the infamous tale of Phalaris, a tyrant known for his extreme cruelty (he supposedly roasted people alive in a bronze bull). These examples highlight actions or drives that are entirely unnatural or deviant from a human perspective.
So, in short, Aristotle is saying that just as some desires or pleasures are natural or understandable for humans, there are other disturbing states of character that reflect a degradation to something more "brutish" and alien to human nature. While these behaviors are rare, they involve an extreme distortion of natural inclinations or, in some cases, are born from habits or damaged circumstances.