Introduction to Aristotle's Golden Mean (Episode 184)

In this episode, Michael Tremblay and Caleb Ontiveros explore Aristotle's ethics, focusing on his doctrine of virtue as the golden mean.

They break down how Aristotle's view differs from Stoicism—from his three-part soul to his idea that virtues are skills developed through practice. Learn why Aristotle saw courage as a balance between cowardice and rashness, why feeling the right emotions matters as much as doing the right thing, and how this ancient framework applies to modern life.

The conversation unpacks key concepts from Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics: habituation, the role of pleasure in virtue, and why context matters in ethical decisions.

(08:29) Aristotelian Happiness

(10:47) Parts of the Soul

(12:44) The Kinds of Virtues

(14:04) Virtue as Skill

(18:39) Habituation

(19:42) The Golden Mean

(26:07) Good Reason For Bad Feelings

(28:24) Meaning of Virtue

(31:37) Self-Reinforcing Virtue

(35:31) What the Golden Mean Means

(45:02) Key Ideas For Practice

(48:03) Differences with Stoicism

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