In an era where there seems to be an atmosphere of growing division, especially in social (or sometimes anti-social) networks, Aristotle can prove to be an important thinker. In fact, in the past, people had some restraint. As they passed their neighbors, their friends, their ideological opponents on a street corner, they measured their words and their reactions. Coming face to face with a person in the flesh encourages this form of civilizing decency.
Today, in front of the screens, in a form of anonymity, it is commonplace to insult, insult and make accusations of intent in all directions. However, it is possible to have and practice a form of action in the face of these extremes of polarization, thanks to Aristotle.
The golden mean as a way of being and acting
Aristotle, an ancient Greek philosopher, developed a central idea of moral philosophy. This concept is mediation, or the golden mean. In short, it is a question of seeking the path and the action in a happy medium between two excesses. Take the example of courage. For Aristotle, this is not rashness (acting without thinking about the consequences and without reflection) nor cowardice (refusing to act out of fear). Courage is the action par excellence between two sides of a possible reality.
Let’s take the concrete example of a person who is drowning. We can act rashly by jumping to save her, just as we can, through cowardice, do nothing. If you can’t swim and you jump, what’s the point? If by jumping you also put yourself in danger, what good can that do? And conversely, if you do nothing out of fear, is that courageous? The courageous individual will be the one who acts by calculating reasonably, by practical reason and by pragmatism according to his strengths, his weaknesses and the circumstances. It is out of the question to do nothing, just as it is out of the question to act without thinking or reflecting.
In today’s world, the middle path seems to be a useful and desirable thing. In fact, too often, we judge, we act, we want to act or not, without really taking the time to think and weigh the “for” and the “against”.
Certainly, Aristotle’s just and prudential action requires effort and work. This is not easy. It’s about finding out, questioning, thinking about yourself from the point of view of knowledge, strengths and weaknesses.
As Aristotle rightly says in his book Nicomachean Ethics, book II, chapter IX: “In all things, grasping the true middle is very difficult. »
Mediation (or golden mean) requires a form of practical knowledge and excellence in action. This action must take the circumstances into account. For the ancient philosopher, there are no valid and true actions at all times and in all places. We must demonstrate a form of pragmatism in the face of mobile and changing reality.
Faced with the present extremes, faced with a complex reality and the various elements stated in numerous situations, it is more than ever wise to use practical prudence (phronesis) and to take the path of the middle ground and reasonable action.
Aristotle remains, as such, a crucial and relevant philosopher for understanding reality and acting with measured ethics. Read, or reread, theNicomachean Ethics can be useful for thinking about the world we live in. Thus, far from the chaos of the media and the instantaneous, reading the work of Aristotle is welcome.