Book 7 / Chapter 9
Paragraph 1 - The Nature of Continence and Incontinence
Explanation - Part By Part
"Is the man continent who abides by any and every rule and any and every choice, or the man who abides by the right choice, and is he incontinent who abandons any and every choice and any and every rule, or he who abandons the rule that is not false and the choice that is right?"
Aristotle is asking an important question here: Who should we consider as a "continent" person (someone with self-control)? Is it someone who sticks to any rule or any choice, no matter what, or is it someone who sticks to the right rule and the right choice? Similarly, is an "incontinent" person (someone who struggles with self-control) someone who abandons all rules and choices, or just the correct ones—the ones that are true and good?
Essentially, Aristotle wants us to think critically about the difference between blindly following or rejecting guidelines versus making deliberate, reasoned decisions based on moral truth. It’s not merely about obedience or rebellion; it’s about whether the rules and choices themselves are just and ethical.
"This is how we put it before in our statement of the problem. Or is it incidentally any and every choice but per se the true rule and the right choice by which the one abides and the other does not?"
Aristotle here is revisiting the central question of what distinguishes a "continent" (self-controlled) person from an "incontinent" (lacking self-control) person. He's asking whether these traits are tied to following any rule or choice, or if they're specifically about following a rule or choice that is inherently correct (the "true rule" or "right choice").
To break it down: Is self-control (continence) simply about sticking to any decision you make, no matter whether it's good or bad? Or is true self-control about adhering to what is morally or rationally right, while a lack of self-control is about abandoning what is truly good and correct? Aristotle leans toward the idea that the distinction is intrinsically tied to rightness—people might follow or abandon various beliefs incidentally, but what really matters is their relationship to correctness and truth.
"If any one chooses or pursues this for the sake of that, per se he pursues and chooses the latter, but incidentally the former."
This part is about distinguishing between what someone really chooses or desires for its own sake (the primary or intrinsic goal) versus what they may pursue only as a means to that goal (the secondary or incidental goal).
Aristotle is saying that when a person chooses or pursues "this" (a particular action or object) in order to achieve "that" (a broader goal or purpose), they are truly aiming for "that" more than "this." In essence, their ultimate focus is on the end result—the goal they truly care about ("per se," meaning "in itself"). The thing they do or choose along the way ("this") is only pursued indirectly or incidentally, as a step to get to the thing that matters most.
For example, if someone chooses to exercise (the "this") in order to be healthy (the "that"), they are really pursuing health as their true aim, while exercise is just a means to get there.
"But when we speak without qualification we mean what is per se. Therefore in a sense the one abides by, and the other abandons, any and every opinion; but without qualification, the true opinion."
Aristotle is making a key distinction about what it means to be "continent" (self-controlled) or "incontinent" (lacking self-control). He’s saying that when people behave in a self-controlled or uncontrolled way, it might seem like they’re just sticking to or abandoning any random set of opinions or rules. However, what really matters, on a deeper level (per se, or in itself), is whether they are upholding or giving up the true rule - the correct, rational decision that aligns with virtue and reason.
When he says "without qualification," he is emphasizing that we’re not talking about following arbitrary opinions or rules in general; we’re talking about following principles that are inherently and objectively right. So, a continent person is someone who stays true to what is genuinely good and rational, while an incontinent person strays from it, even if it looks like they’re just giving up on "any" rule superficially.