Page:The ethics of Aristotle.djvu/310

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Aristotle's Ethics


P. 137, l. 13. The term Wisdom is used in our English Translation of the Old Testament in the sense first given to Σορία here. “Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise-hearted man, in whom the Lord put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the Sanctuary.” Exodus xxxvi. 1.

P. 137, l. 27. ἐπιστήμη and Νοῦς, (in the strict sense, for it is used in many different senses in this book) are different parts of the whole function σοφία; ἐπιστήμη takes in conclusions, drawn by strict reasoning from Principles of a certain kind which Νοῦς supplies. It is conceivable that a man might go on gaining these principles by Intuition and never reasoning from them, and so Νοῦς might exist independent of ἐπιστήμη, but not this without that. Put the two together, the head to the trunk, and you form the living being Σοφία. There are three branches of σοφία according to Greek Philosophy, Θεολογικὴ, Μαθηματικὴ, Φυσικὴ. Science is perhaps the nearest English term, but we have none really equivalent.

P. 137, l. 29. πολιτικὴ is here used in its most extensive sense, φρόνησίς would be its chief Instrument.

P. 138, l. 16. The faculty concerned with which is Φυσικὴ Σοφία.

P. 139, l. 16. In every branch of Moral Action in which Practical Wisdom is employed there will be general principles, and the application of them; but in some branches there are distinct names appropriated to the operations of Practical Wisdom, in others there are not.
Thus Practical Wisdom, when employed on the general principles of Civil Government, is called Legislation; as administering its particular functions it is called simply Government. In Domestic Management, there are of course general Rules, and also the particular application of them; but here the faculty is called only by one name. So too when Self-Interest is the object of Practical Wisdom.

P. 139, l. 27. χειροτέχναι, “our mere Operatives in Public business.” (Chalmers.)

P. 139, l. 32. Practical Wisdom may be employed either respecting

           Self, (which is φρόνησίς proper)
or not-Self, i.e. either one's family=οἰκονομικὴ,
                       or one’s community=πολιτικὴ,

but here the supreme and subordinate are distinguished; the former is νομοθετικὴ, the latter πολιτικὴ proper, whose functions are deliberation and the administration of justice.

P. 140, l. 16. But where can this be done, if there be no community? sec Horace's account of the way in which his father made him reap instruction from the examples in the society