Aristotle · Great Ethics §1.30.1-1.30.2

Wittiness as a Mean Between Buffoonery and Boorishness

Passage 32 of 71 · Greek

Summary

This section explains that wittiness is a mean between buffoonery and boorishness, demonstrating that both the ability to jest gracefully and the capacity to endure being jested at are expressions of a witty person.

§1.30.1εὐτραπελία δʼ ἐστὶ μεσότης βωμολοχίας καὶ ἀγροικίας, ἔστιν δὲ περὶ [τὰ] σκώμματα.

Wittiness is a mean between buffoonery and boorishness, and it is concerned with jests.

ὅ τε γὰρ βωμολόχος ἐστὶν ὁ πάντα καὶ πᾶν οἰόμενος δεῖν σκώπτειν, ὅ τε ἄγροικος ὁ μήτε σκώπτειν βουλόμενος δεῖν μήτε σκωφθῆναι, ἀλλʼ ὀργιζόμενος· §1.30.2ὁ δʼ εὐτράπελος ἀνὰ μέσον τούτων, ὁ μήτε πάντας καὶ πάντως σκώπτων μήτʼ αὖ[τὸς] ἄγροικος ὤν.

For the buffoon is one who thinks he ought to jest at everyone and everything, while the boor is one who wants neither to jest nor to be jested at, but gets angry; on the other hand, the witty man is in the middle of these, being one who neither jests at everyone and in every way, nor on the other hand is boorish himself.

ἔσται δὲ ὁ εὐτράπελος διττῶς πως λεγόμενος· καὶ γὰρ ὁ δυνάμενος σκῶψαι ἐμμελῶς, καὶ ὃς ἂν ὑπομείνῃ σκωπτόμενος, εὐτράπελος· καὶ ἡ εὐτραπελία τοιαύτη.

Now the witty man will be spoken of in a dual sense, as it were; for both he who is able to jest gracefully, and he who can endure being jested at, is witty; and wittiness is of such a nature.

Notes

1.30.1πάντα καὶ πᾶν — A double accusative expression. The former 'πάντα' is interpreted as masculine accusative plural ('everyone'), while the latter 'πᾶν' is taken as neuter accusative singular or adverbial ('everything / in every way'), indicating that the buffoon jests at all targets without discrimination.
1.30.1βουλόμενος [δεῖν] — The word 'δεῖν' in brackets is highly likely a later insertion or dittography influenced by 'οἰόμενος δεῖν' in the preceding clause describing the buffoon. In translation, we prioritize the syntactical function of 'βουλόμενος' ('wishing') and ignore 'δεῖν'.
1.30.2ὑπομείνῃ σκωπτόμενος — The verb 'ὑπομένω' ('endure, tolerate') can take a supplementary participle instead of an infinitive. Here, the present passive participle 'σκωπτόμενος' functions in this way, meaning 'endures being jested at'.

Cite this passage

Aristotle, Great Ethics §1.30.1-1.30.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0086.tlg022.humanitext-grc1:1.30.1-1.30.2

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