Aristotle Quotes About Evil

• Fear is pain arising from the anticipation of evil.

  Aristotle

  Pain, Fear, Philosophical

• It is our choice of good or evil that determines our character, not our opinion about good or evil.

  Aristotle

  Character, Evil, Choices

  Aristotle (1996). “The Nicomachean Ethics”, p.58, Wordsworth Editions

• Every man should be responsible to others, nor should any one be allowed to do just as he pleases; for where absolute freedom is allowed, there is nothing to restrain the evil which is inherent in every man.

  Aristotle

  Men, Evil, Human Nature

  Aristotle (2013). “The Essential Aristotle”, p.356, Simon and Schuster

• Every man should be responsible to others, nor should anyone be allowed to do just as he pleases; for where absolute freedom is allowed there is nothing to restrain the evil which is inherent in every man. But the principle of responsibility secures that which is the greatest good in states; the right persons rule and are prevented from doing wrong, and the people have their due. It is evident that this is the best kind of democracy, and why? because the people are drawn from a certain class.

  Aristotle

  Responsibility, Men, Class

  Aristotle, (2016). “Aristotle's Politics: Writings from the Complete Works: Politics, Economics, Constitution of Athens”, p.169, Princeton University Press

• Aristotle said: "Evil brings men together."

  Aristotle

  Men, Evil, Hatred

  "Fictional character: Jason Gideon". "Criminal Minds". Season 2, Episode 13: "No Way Out", January 17, 2007.

• For the real difference between humans and other animals is that humans alone have perception of good and evil, just and unjust, etc. It is the sharing of a common view in these matters that makes a household and a state.

  Aristotle

  Real, Animal, Views

  Aristotle (1987). “A New Aristotle reader”

• No notice is taken of a little evil, but when it increases it strikes the eye.

  Aristotle

  Philosophical, Taken, Eye

  Aristotle, Aeterna Press (2015). “Politics”, p.166, Aeterna Press

• When we look at the matter from another point of view, great caution would seem to be required. For the habit of lightly changing the laws is an evil, and, when the advantage is small, some errors both of lawgivers and rulers had better be left; the citizen will not gain so much by making the change as he will lose by the habit of disobedience.

  Aristotle

  Errors, Views, Law

  Aristotle (2016). “Politics”, p.63, Aristotle

• To die, and thus avoid poverty or love, or anything painful, is not the part of a brave man, but rather of a coward; for it is cowardice to avoid trouble, and the suicide does not undergo death because it is honorable, but in order to avoid evil.

  Aristotle

  Suicide, Men, Order

  Aristotle (1871). “The Nicomachean Ethics of Aristotle”, p.74

• Again, it is possible to fail in many ways (for evil belongs to the class of the unlimited and good to that of the limited), while to succeed is possible only in one way (for which reason also one is easy and the other difficult—to miss the mark easy, to hit it difficult); for these reasons also, then, excess and defect are characteristic of vice, and the mean of virtue; For men are good in but one way, but bad in many.

  Aristotle

  Mean, Men, Class

  Aristotle, (2014). “Complete Works of Aristotle, Volume 2: The Revised Oxford Translation”, p.1748, Princeton University Press

• Evils draw men together.

  Aristotle

  Men, Evil, Together

  Aristotle, Aeterna Press (2015). “Rhetoric”, p.43, Aeterna Press

• In bad or corrupted natures the body will often appear to rule over the soul, because they are in an evil and unnatural condition. At all events we may firstly observe in living creatures both a despotical and a constitutional rule; for the soul rules the body with a despotical rule, whereas the intellect rules the appetites with a constitutional and royal rule. And it is clear that the rule of the soul over the body, and of the mind and the rational element over the passionate, is natural and expedient; whereas the equality of the two or the rule of the inferior is always hurtful.

  Aristotle

  Two, Evil, Soul

  Aristotle, (2016). “Aristotle's Politics: Writings from the Complete Works: Politics, Economics, Constitution of Athens”, p.7, Princeton University Press

• Evil draws men together.

  Aristotle

  Men, Evil, Together

• Not every action or emotion however admits of the observance of a due mean. Indeed the very names of some directly imply evil, for instance malice, shamelessness, envy, and, of actions, adultery, theft, murder. All these and similar actions and feelings are blamed as being bad in themselves; it is not the excess or deficiency of them that we blame. It is impossible therefore ever to go right in regard to them - one must always be wrong.

  Aristotle

  Mean, Names, Evil

• Youth should stay away from all evil, especially things that produce wickedness and ill-will.

  Aristotle

  Parenting, Ill Will, Evil

• Error is multiform (for evil is a form of the unlimited, as in the old Pythagorean imagery, and good of the limited), whereas success is possible in one way only (which is why it is easy to fail and difficult to succeed - easy to miss the target and difficult to hit it); so this is another reason why excess and deficiency are a mark of vice, and observance of the mean a mark of virtue: Goodness is simple, badness is manifold.

  Aristotle

  Mean, Simple, Errors

  Aristotle (1996). “The Nicomachean Ethics”, p.41, Wordsworth Editions

• Take the case of just actions; just punishments and chastisements do indeed spring from a good principle, but they are good only because we cannot do without them - it would be better that neither individuals nor states should need anything of the sort - but actions which aim at honor and advantage are absolutely the best. The conditional action is only the choice of a lesser evil; whereas these are the foundation and creation of good. A good man may make the best even of poverty and disease, and the other ills of life.

  Aristotle

  Good Life, Spring, Men

  Aristotle, (2014). “Complete Works of Aristotle, Volume 2: The Revised Oxford Translation”, p.2113, Princeton University Press

• The government of freemen is nobler and implies more virtue than despotic government. Neither is a city to be deemed happy or a legislator to be praised because he trains his citizens to conquer and obtain dominion over their neighbors, for there is great evil in this.

  Aristotle

  Government, Cities, Evil

  Aristotle (2013). “The Essential Aristotle”, p.383, Simon and Schuster

• The generality of men are naturally apt to be swayed by fear rather than reverence, and to refrain from evil rather because of the punishment that it brings than because of its own foulness.

  Aristotle

  Fear, Men, Evil

  Aristotle (1885). “The Nicomachean Ethics”, p.185, Jazzybee Verlag

• The majority of mankind would seem to be beguiled into error by pleasure, which, not being really a good, yet seems to be so. So that they indiscriminately choose as good whatsoever gives them pleasure, while they avoid all pain alike as evil.

  Aristotle

  Pain, Errors, Evil

  Aristotle (1869). “The Nicomachean Ethics of Aristotle”, p.74

• ...perhaps there is some element of good even in the simple act of living, so long as the evils of existence do not preponderate too heavily.

  Aristotle

  Simple, Long, Evil

  Aristotle (1963). “The Politics of Aristotle”

• For good is simple, evil manifold.

  Aristotle

  Simple, Evil, Manifold

  Aristotle (1971). “On Man in the Universe”

• We must as second best, as people say, take the least of the evils.

  Aristotle

  People, Evil, Second Best

  Aristotle (1983). “Pocket Aristotle”, p.196, Simon and Schuster

• Men regard it as their right to return evil for evil and, if they cannot, feel they have lost their liberty.

  Aristotle

  Revenge, Men, Evil

  Aristotle (1953). “Ethics: The Nicomachean Ethics”

• For the lesser evil is reckoned a good in comparison with the greater evil, since the lesser evil is rather to be chosen than the greater. .

  Aristotle

  Evil, Chosen, Greater

  Aristotle, (2014). “Complete Works of Aristotle, Volume 2: The Revised Oxford Translation”, p.1786, Princeton University Press

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