Doctrine of the mean:
The doctrine of Aristotle (384-322 BC) that moral virtue can be defined as a disposition concerned with choice and lying in a mean.
Any given virtue lies between two extremes, for example courage lies in a mean between rashness and cowardice. The mean, however, is not an arithmetical mean, but is ‘relative to us’; that is, to our natural tendencies.
Since we naturally tend more to cowardice than to rashness, the mean is nearer to rashness. (But sometimes Aristotle seems to say only that we should especially avoid our own pet vices.) The doctrine thus risks being vacuous, the mean being whatever point we ought to pursue; this being determined by the moral insight of the trained and practised ‘man of practical wisdom’.
But Aristotle could say that the doctrine reminds us that there are always two opposite errors which we must avoid.
Whether all virtues can be so classified, without artificiality or triviality, may be disputed, but there is no mean of the mean or extremes: we don’t have to avoid excess of virtue, nor (Aristotle’s example) can a man commit adultery with the right woman at the right time in the right way.
Source:
Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, book 2, chs 5-9
Table of Contents
- 1 Videos
- 2 Related Products
- 2.1 Doctrine of the Mean: Bilingual Edition, English and Chinese 中庸: A Confucian Classic of Ancient Chinese Literature 四書
- 2.2 The Doctrine of the Mean
- 2.3 Pen Calligraphy Copybook of Regular Script - Great Learning and Doctrine of the Mean - 1st Volume - Second Edition (Chinese Edition)
- 2.4 From Babylon to America: The Prophecy Movie
- 2.5 The Lost Tomb of Jesus
- 2.6 500 BC The Doctrine of the Mean Confucius
- 2.7 The Confucian Analects, the Great Learning & the Doctrine of the Mean
- 2.8 The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism
- 2.9 Eternal Salvation
- 2.10 The Life and Teachings of Confucius: The Chinese Classics, Vol. 1: Analects, Great Learning, Doctrine of the Mean
- double effect doctrine
- pre-established harmony doctrine
- internal relations doctrine
- consequentialism
- relativism
Videos
Doctrine of the Mean: Bilingual Edition, English and Chinese 中庸: A Confucian Classic of Ancient Chinese Literature 四書
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Confucius 孔子 (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 37 Pages - 06/09/2014 (Publication Date) - Dragon Reader (Publisher)
The Doctrine of the Mean
- The Doctrine of the Mean is both a doctrine of Confucianism, and also the title of one of the Four Books of Confucian philosophy.
- The text is attributed to Zisi (also known as Kong Ji), the only grandson of Confucius. It was published as a chapter in the Classic of Rites.
- Chinese (Publication Language)
Pen Calligraphy Copybook of Regular Script - Great Learning and Doctrine of the Mean - 1st Volume - Second Edition (Chinese Edition)
- Du Xiongxia (Author)
- Chinese (Publication Language)
- 42 Pages - 04/01/2016 (Publication Date) - Sichuan Fine Arts Publishing House (Publisher)
From Babylon to America: The Prophecy Movie
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- Jan Capa (Actor)
- Jan Capa (Director) - Jan Capa (Writer) - Jan Capa (Producer)
- English (Playback Language)
- English (Subtitle)
The Lost Tomb of Jesus
- In 1980, a bulldozer accidentally uncovered a first-century tomb in Jerusalem. Of the ten ossuaries, or stone coffins, found inside, six bore inscriptions: Jesus son of Joseph, Maria, Mariamene (the name by which Mary Magdalene was known), Joseph, Ma
- Simcha Jacobvici (Director) - James Cameron (Producer)
- English (Publication Language)
- Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
500 BC The Doctrine of the Mean Confucius
- High-quality, full-edition book with no advertisements
- Advanced, feature-rich book reader with excellent customization options
- Easy access to an extensive library of book selections
- English (Publication Language)
The Confucian Analects, the Great Learning & the Doctrine of the Mean
- Hardcover Book
- Confucius (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 516 Pages - 08/01/2009 (Publication Date) - Cosimo Classics (Publisher)
The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Klein, Naomi (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 720 Pages - 04/01/2010 (Publication Date) - Metropolitan Books (Publisher)
Eternal Salvation
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- Bradley Snedeker, Jessica Morris, Darren Dupree Washington (Actors)
- Reed Simonsen (Director) - Tim Gautier (Writer) - Tim Gautier (Producer)
- English (Playback Language)
- English (Subtitle)
The Life and Teachings of Confucius: The Chinese Classics, Vol. 1: Analects, Great Learning, Doctrine of the Mean
- Confucius (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 304 Pages - 09/05/2015 (Publication Date) - Jazzybee Verlag (Publisher)
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