psychology, in part by analogies suggested by art and nature , and in part by criteria elaborated by the intellectual virtues. The genus of the moral virtues is determined by a dialectical choice among the three things in the soul: they are not passions or faculties but habits. Their differentia is determined in two fashions, relative to the person of the agent and relative to rational criteria. For the first, Aristotle draws an analogy from natural and artistic excellence to moral excellence, inferring that virtue as habit disposes one to choose in the right way among actions and passions, and that the right way involves a
mean between extremes. Such a mean proportion may be determined in action by habit without explicit knowledge, but if it is to be stated it is made a rational rule and therefore subject in its second formulation to an intellectual virtue. The final definition therefore bears only a dialectical likeness to a scientific definition by genus and differentia: "Virtue, then, is a habit concerned with choice , lying in a mean, i.e.,
the mean relative to us, this being determined by a rational principle, and by that principle by which the prudent man would determine it." In its construction the four causes, which
are important also in determining the methods of metaphysics and physics, are all discernible. Physical definitions usually specify two of the causes, the matter and some formal determination of the matter. The virtues, however, are not themselves
actions but are oriented to actions: the genus of virtue is therefore found in the efficient cause of actions, namely, habit concerned with choice, and the differentia supplies the criteria for such action stated either in the formal onside ration of a proportion
or in the final determinations of a rational rule. Moreover, this definition of the moral virtues in turn serves as a genus, and further specifications are made by introducing into
the proportion the material causes-i.e., the passions and actions with which the virtues are concerned-to determine the
psychology, in part by analogies suggested by art and nature , and in part by criteria elaborated by the intellectual virtues. The genus of the moral virtues is determined by a dialectical choice among the three things in the soul: they are not passions or faculties but habits. Their differentia is determined in two fashions, relative to the person of the agent and relative to rational criteria. For the first, Aristotle draws an analogy from natural and artistic excellence to moral excellence, inferring that virtue as habit disposes one to choose in the right way among actions and passions, and that the right way involves amean between extremes. Such a mean proportion may be determined in action by habit without explicit knowledge, but if it is to be stated it is made a rational rule and therefore subject in its second formulation to an intellectual virtue. The final definition therefore bears only a dialectical likeness to a scientific definition by genus and differentia: "Virtue, then, is a habit concerned with choice , lying in a mean, i.e.,the mean relative to us, this being determined by a rational principle, and by that principle by which the prudent man would determine it." In its construction the four causes, whichare important also in determining the methods of metaphysics and physics, are all discernible. Physical definitions usually specify two of the causes, the matter and some formal determination of the matter. The virtues, however, are not themselvesactions but are oriented to actions: the genus of virtue is therefore found in the efficient cause of actions, namely, habit concerned with choice, and the differentia supplies the criteria for such action stated either in the formal onside ration of a proportionor in the final determinations of a rational rule. Moreover, this definition of the moral virtues in turn serves as a genus, and further specifications are made by introducing intothe proportion the material causes-i.e., the passions and actions with which the virtues are concerned-to determine the
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