Incontinence (philosophy) - Aristotle

Aristotle

Aristotle devoted book VII of the Nicomachean Ethics to the discussion of continence and incontinence, having previously linked the latter both to prodigality in its effects, and to those dominated by irrational feeling in its failure to obey knowledge of the good: a case of knowing virtue, but not having habituated it to control passion.

Aristotle considered one could be incontinent with respect to money or temper or glory, but that its core relation was to bodily enjoyment. Its causes could be weakness of will, or an impetuous refusal to think. At the same time, he did not consider it a vice, because not a product of moral choice but of a failure to act on one's better knowledge.

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