§3#2τῆς οἰκείας ἀρετῆς, καὶ μάλιστα κατὰ φύσιν, καθάπερ ὁ κύκλος | τότε μάλιστα κατὰ φύσιν ἐστίν, ὅταν μάλιστα κύκλος ᾖ), ἡ δὲ κακία φθορὰ τούτων καὶ ἔκστασις.
when it happens to attain its proper virtue, and especially in accordance with nature, just as a circle is then most in accordance with nature, when it is most a circle), while vice is the destruction of these and a departure from them.
γίγνεται μὲν οὖν ἀλλοιουμένου τινὸς καὶ ἡ λῆψις | τῆς ἀρετῆς καὶ ἡ τῆς κακίας ἀποβολή, ἀλλοίωσις μέντοι τούτων οὐδέτερον.
Now, both the acquisition of virtue and the loss of vice come to be when something is altered, yet neither of them is an alteration.
| ὅτι δʼ ἀλλοιοῦταί τι, δῆλον.
But that something is altered is clear.
ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἀρετὴ τοι ἀπάθειά τις ἢ παθη|τικὸν ὡδί, ἡ δὲ κακία παθητικὸν ἢ ἐναντία πάθησις τῇ ἀρετῇ.
For virtue is either a certain lack of affection or a being affected in a certain way, while vice is a being affected or an affection contrary to virtue.
καὶ τὸ | ὅλον τὴν ἠθικὴν ἀρετὴν ἐν ἡδοναῖς καὶ λύπαις εἶναι συμβέβηκεν· γὰρ κατʼ ἐνέργειαν τὸ τῆς ἡδονῆς διὰ μνήμην ἢ ἀπὸ τῆς ἐλπίδος.
And on the whole, ethical virtue happens to be in pleasures and pains; for pleasure is either in respect of activity, or due to memory, or from hope.
εἰ μὲν οὖν | κατʼ ἐνέργειαν, αἴσθησις τὸ αἴτιον, εἰ δὲ διὰ μνήμην ἢ διʼ ἐλπίδα, ἀπὸ ταύτης· ἢ γὰρ οἶα ἐπάθομεν μεμνημένοις τὸ τῆς ἡδονῆς ἢ οἷα πεισόμεθα | ἐλπίζουσιν.
If, then, it is in respect of activity, sensation is the cause, but if it is due to memory or hope, it is from this; for the pleasure is either for those remembering what we suffered, or for those hoping what we shall suffer.
ἀλλὰ μὴν οὐδ’ ⟨ἐν⟩ τῷ διανοητικῷ μέρει τῆς ψυχῆς ἀλλοίωσις.
Moreover, there is no alteration in the intellectual part of the soul either.
| τὸ γὰρ ἐπιστῆμον μάλιστα τῶν πρός τι λέγεται. τοῦτο δὲ δῆλον·
For that which is knowledgeable is spoken of especially of relative things.
κατʼ οὐδε|μίαν γὰρ δύναμιν κινηθεῖσιν ἐγγίγνεται τὸ τῆς ἐπιστήμης, ἀλλʼ ὑπάρξαντός | τινος· ἐκ γὰρ τῆς κατὰ μέρος ἐμπειρίας τὴν καθόλου λαμβάνομεν ἐπιστή|μην.
And this is clear; for the state of knowledge does not come to be in us by our being moved in respect of any capacity, but by something's being present; for from particular experience we grasp the universal knowledge.
οὐδὲ δὴ ἡ ἐνέργεια γένεσις, εἰ μή τις καὶ τὴν ἀνάβλεψιν καὶ τὴν | ἁφὴν γενέσεις φησίν· τοιοῦτον γὰρ ἡ ἐνέργεια.
Nor indeed is the activity a generation, unless someone also says that looking up and touching are generations; for the activity is of such a kind.
ἡ δὲ ἐξ ἀρχῆς λῆψις τῆς | ἐπιστήμης οὐκ ἔστι γένεσις οὐδʼ ἀλλοίωσις· τῷ γὰρ ἠρεμίζεσθαι καὶ καθ|ίστασθαι τὴν ψυχὴν ἐπιστήμων γίγνεται καὶ φρόνιμος.
And the acquisition of knowledge from the beginning is not a generation nor an alteration; for by the soul's becoming quiet and coming to a standstill, one becomes knowledgeable and prudent.
καθάπερ οὖν οὐδʼ ὅταν | καθεύδων ἐγερθῇ τις ἢ μεθύων παύσηται ἢ νοσῶν καταστῇ, γέγονεν ἐπι|στήμων· καίτοι πρότερον οὐκ ἐδύνατο χρῆσθαι καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἐπιστήμην ἐνερ|γεῖν, εἶτα ἀπαλλαγείσης τῆς ταραχῆς καὶ εἰς ἠρεμίαν καὶ κατάστασιν ἐλθούσης τῆς | διανοίας ὑπῆρξεν ἡ δύναμις ἡ πρὸς τὴν τῆς ἐπιστήμης χρείαν.
Just as, then, neither when someone sleeping is awakened, or ceases being drunk, or recovers when sick, has he become knowledgeable—although previously he was not able to use and act in accordance with his knowledge, but then, when the disturbance was removed and the intellect came into quiet and stability, the capacity for the use of knowledge was present.
τοιοῦτο δή | τι γίγνεται καὶ τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐν τῇ τῆς ἐπιστήμης ὑπαρχῇ· τῆς γὰρ ταρα|χῆς ἠρεμία τις καὶ κατάστασις.
Something of this kind indeed comes to be also in the initial presence of knowledge; for it is a certain quiet and stability of the disturbance.
οὐδὲ δὴ τὰ παιδία δύναται μαθεῖν οὐδὲ | κρίνειν ταῖς αἰσθήσεσιν ὁμοίως τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις.
Nor indeed can children learn or judge by their senses in the same way as older people.
πολλὴ γὰρ ἡ ταραχὴ περὶ ταῦτα καὶ ἡ κίνησις.
For the disturbance and the motion around these are great.
καθίσταται δὲ καὶ παύεται τῆς ταραχῆς τοτὲ | μὲν ὑπὸ τῆς φύσεως τοτὲ δʼ ὑπʼ ἄλλων.
And the disturbance is settled and ceases sometimes by nature and sometimes by other things.
ἐν ἀμφοτέροις δὲ τούτοις ἀλ|λοιοῦσθαί τι συμβαίνει, καθάπερ ὅταν ἐγερθῇ καὶ γένηται νήφων πρὸς τὴν ἐνέργειαν.
In both of these cases it happens that something is altered, just as when one is awakened and becomes sober for activity.
φανερὸν οὖν ὅτι τὸ τῆς ἀλλοιώσεως ἐν τοῖς αἰσθητοῖς καὶ ἐν τῷ αἰσθητικῷ μέρει τῆς ψυχῆς, ἐν ἄλλῳ δʼ οὐθενὶ πλὴν κατὰ συμβεβηκός.
It is clear, then, that alteration is in sensible things and in the sensitive part of the soul, but in nothing else except accidentally.