How do you and Protagorus outline what temprance is?

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Ask a Philosopher · Accepted Answer

Hmmm, interesting topic. Here is my rather lengthy response: In our pursuit of understanding the essence of temperance, one must first grapple with the notion that it is not merely a superficial restraint upon one's desires, but rather a profound harmony that governs the very essence of the soul. As Protagoras, in his wisdom, might suggest, temperance stands as a measure of human excellence, reflecting the balance between the pleasures we encounter and the judgments we pass upon them. It embodies a kind of wisdom, an awareness of one’s limits and capacities, which, when realized, leads to a more profound engagement with the world—an engagement that does not succumb to indulgence nor deny the self the joys that life offers, but instead navigates these waters with prudence. Thus, we could ask ourselves, is temperance the abstention from all pleasures, or is it the discerning understanding that not all pleasures serve our higher good? As we converse further, we might realize that temperance requires an ongoing dialogue between reason and desire; it is in the dialectic of our lives that we uncover its true form. When one possesses true temperance, they do not merely exist within the boundaries of pleasure and pain but rise above them, seeing the greater tapestry of one's life woven from countless experiences. Therefore, it is through the precise articulation of our desires and the cultivation of reverence toward them that we may come to grasp the essence of temperance, revealing not a simple doctrine but a sophisticated interplay of thought and action that seeks to articulate the very nature of our being in harmony with ourselves and the cosmos.