Book 7 / Chapter 9
Paragraph 4 - The Nature of Continence and Incontinence
Explanation - Part By Part
"Since there is also a sort of man who takes less delight than he should in bodily things, and does not abide by the rule, he who is intermediate between him and the incontinent man is the continent man;"
In this part, Aristotle is pointing out that just as some people indulge too much in pleasures (like food, drink, or other bodily desires), there are others who go to the opposite extreme—they enjoy these things too little. Both extremes are problematic because they fail to align with the proper measure or "rule." The person who manages to find the balance between these two extremes is what Aristotle calls the "continent man." This person has the self-control to follow the rule and maintain moderation, avoiding both overindulgence and excessive denial of pleasure.
"for the incontinent man fails to abide by the rule because he delights too much in them, and this man because he delights in them too little; while the continent man abides by the rule and does not change on either account."
Aristotle is discussing how people relate to bodily pleasures (like food, drink, or other sensual enjoyments) and rules of moderation. He explains that an incontinent person doesn't follow the proper balance or "rule" because they are overly drawn to such pleasures—they crave and indulge excessively, even when they know they shouldn't. On the flip side, there is another type of person who also fails to follow the rule but for the opposite reason—they enjoy these pleasures far too little, showing an almost excessive restraint or indifference.
The continent person, however, is the balanced individual. They stick to the "rule" of moderation and don't waver—neither being overly indulgent nor excessively denying themselves. This balanced approach makes the continent person a model of self-control and reasonableness when it comes to managing desires.
"Now if continence is good, both the contrary states must be bad, as they actually appear to be; but because the other extreme is seen in few people and seldom, as temperance is thought to be contrary only to self-indulgence, so is continence to incontinence."
Here, Aristotle is discussing the idea of balance, or the "golden mean," in how people approach pleasures—specifically bodily pleasures, like food, drink, or desires. He observes that continence (self-control or discipline over one's impulses) is a good state because it represents a balanced approach.
He then explains that the opposite extremes of continence—both overindulgence (giving in too much to pleasures) and excessive restraint (taking too little delight in pleasures)—are bad. However, he notes an important distinction: the second extreme, where someone does not enjoy pleasures as much as they should, is rare and doesn't occur as often in people’s behavior. Because of this, we tend to view self-control (continence) primarily as being opposed to incontinence (lacking self-control), rather than being about both extremes.
So, just like temperance (moderation in desires) is seen as the opposite of self-indulgence (excessive indulgence), Aristotle says continence is generally seen as the opposite of incontinence.