Learning Temperance in Homer’s Odyssey Essay - 1522 Words

Learning Temperance in Homer’s Odyssey Being a work of importance in the western tradition of philosophy, The Odyssey is much more than some play written by Homer ages ago. Though The Odyssey certainly is a dramatic work and partially intended for entertainment, it also provides insight into the ways of thinking of the time it has been written in. Aside from illustrating the perspective of early Greek philosophy The Odyssey also raises certain questions pertaining to virtues and the morality of actions undertaken therein. Such questions and the pursuit of their answers may also lead to a better understanding of the actions taken in present-day society and the human condition in general. One of the virtues that is present†¦show more content†¦Thus, the mention of temperance is to henceforth refer to that precise self-restraint in conduct, expression, and indulgence of the appetites. However, it is also to draw upon Aristotles notion of the mean. When it comes to moral virtues, Aristotle provides the concept o f a mean in order to determine how much or how little of a specific attribute is to be exhibited by a character so that the proper dosage may become a moral virtue. The deficiency or excess of the attribute in question thus determines the resulting character of the individual. In the instance of fear, a deficiency produces recklessness (Baird). This can be related to The Odyssey well by taking the encounter with the Kyklopes and the blinding of Polyphemos by Odysseus companions. If Odysseus were satisfied with the amount of food attained prior to Polyphemos return, and not be so greedy as to go and take the stores of the Kyklops too, he may have returned to Ithaka years before his actual homecoming. Such is the course of action taken by the man skilled in all ways of contending, as to bring upon him the anger of Poseidon throughout The Odyssey. On the other hand, the excess of fear yields cowardice, which is certainly not a characteristic of any skilled man in The Odyssey. The strive thus, is to find the mean between deficiency and excess. To temper the attribute of fear into