Book 9 / Chapter 1
Paragraph 2 - Assessing the Value of Services
Explanation - Part By Part
"But who is to fix the worth of the service; he who makes the sacrifice or he who has got the advantage? At any rate the other seems to leave it to him."
Aristotle is posing a question about how to determine the value of a service or favor in a relationship. Should the person who provides the service or makes the sacrifice decide its worth, or should the person who benefits from it make that decision? Aristotle notes that, typically, the beneficiary tends to leave the valuation up to the person providing the service. This raises the issue of fairness and mutual understanding in such exchanges, questioning how we can balance subjective perspectives on value in interpersonal interactions.
"This is what they say Protagoras used to do; whenever he taught anything whatsoever, he bade the learner assess the value of the knowledge, and accepted the amount so fixed."
Aristotle refers to the practice of the ancient sophist Protagoras, who reportedly allowed his students to determine the value of the education he provided. In other words, after learning from him, the students themselves decided how much his teaching was worth, and Protagoras would accept that amount as his payment. This approach put the responsibility of assessing and assigning value on the recipient of the service (the student), rather than the provider (Protagoras).
This idea highlights a broader question about fairness in exchanges: Who gets to decide the worth of something intangible, like knowledge or a service? Is it the provider, based on their effort and expertise? Or is it the receiver, based on how much value they feel they've gained from it? The example of Protagoras illustrates one way of resolving this challenge, by trusting the judgment of the person receiving the benefit.
This passage also nudges the reader to think about the subjective nature of value—how it can vary greatly depending on personal perspectives or circumstances. It is especially relevant when dealing with non-material goods like education, pleasure, or wisdom, where the "worth" isn't as easily measurable as it would be for a physical commodity like shoes or food.
"But in such matters some men approve of the saying 'let a man have his fixed reward'."
Aristotle is pointing out that in some types of exchanges or agreements, people believe it is better to set a fixed reward or payment beforehand. This approach avoids uncertainty or disputes later on, especially when there could be disagreements about the value of what has been provided (e.g., a service, knowledge, or work). By deciding on a fixed amount from the start, both parties know what to expect, and this minimizes the chance of complaints or dissatisfaction.
"Those who get the money first and then do none of the things they said they would, owing to the extravagance of their promises, naturally find themselves the objects of complaint; for they do not fulfil what they agreed to."
This part addresses the issue of people who make grand promises and accept payment upfront but fail to deliver on what they promised. Naturally, this behavior creates dissatisfaction and complaints from those who trusted and paid them. The key idea is that trust in any exchange—whether in business, education, or friendship—is built on the expectation that promises will be honored, and when they aren't, the relationship or agreement is compromised. Essentially, people expect a fair return for what they've given, whether it's money, effort, or trust.
"The sophists are perhaps compelled to do this because no one would give money for the things they do know."
In this part, Aristotle takes a jab at the sophists, who were professional teachers of rhetoric and philosophy in ancient Greece. He suggests that sophists may feel compelled to make grandiose promises about what they can teach because, in reality, the knowledge they actually possess is not seen as valuable enough for people to willingly pay for it. This reflects Aristotle's ongoing critique of the sophists, whom he often criticized for prioritizing persuasive speech and surface-level knowledge over truth and deeper understanding. Essentially, he's implying that they exaggerate their offerings because their genuine expertise might not be worth the price they demand.
"These people then, if they do not do what they have been paid for, are naturally made the objects of complaint."
Aristotle is pointing out that if someone is paid to perform a service or fulfill a promise but then fails to deliver on what was agreed upon, it’s only natural for others to complain. This criticism is particularly directed toward those who overpromise and underdeliver—claiming they’ll do extraordinary things but ultimately not following through. Such behavior naturally leads to frustration because the person receiving the service doesn’t get what they were promised in return for their payment.