(ApA analysis – knowledge, society and responsibility)
Why do we still return to Aristotle today?
Aristotle and measure are concepts that still help us understand where the line is between freedom of speech, responsibility, and just punishment in modern society. In an age of quick judgments, social media, and thoughtless reactions, the question is increasingly being asked: where is the line between freedom and responsibility, between punishment and revenge? Although he lived more than two thousand years ago, Aristotle still offers us answers that are surprisingly relevant today.
Aristotle was not a philosopher of noise, but a philosopher measures. His thought does not arise from anger, but from reason. That is precisely why his philosophy is important today, in a society that often reacts impulsively and thinks afterwards.
Who was Aristotle?
Aristotle (384–322 BC) was one of the most influential philosophers of Western civilization, a student of Plato and a teacher of Alexander the Great. Born in Stagira, he worked in Athens, where he founded the Lycaeus school.
Unlike Plato, who sought truth in the world of ideas, Aristotle observed real life: people, nature, law and society. His basic question was simple, yet profound:
how to live a good and just life in community with others?
Aristotle and Measure: The Golden Mean as the Foundation of Ethics
One of the key concepts of Aristotle's philosophy is mesothes – golden mean. According to him, virtue is always between two extremes.
For example:
- silence in the face of injustice ❌
- uncontrolled rage and chaos ❌
- reasonable and responsible speech ✅
The same applies to punishment:
- complete impunity ❌
- excessive repression ❌
- proportionate and reasonable punishment ✅
For Aristotle, the problem is never in the speech or punishment itself, but in loss of measure.
Aristotle's concept of the golden mean is also explained in detail in modern philosophical sources such as this overview at Encyclopaedia Britannica, which provides a broader historical and ethical context. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristotle
Freedom of speech through Aristotle's prism
In action Rhetoric, Aristotle emphasizes the power of words. Speech can:
- to educate
- to initiate changes
- but also cause damage
That is why freedom of speech must be guided by reason, and not exclusively by emotion. Speech without responsibility loses its ethical value, but banning speech without measure also loses its justice.
In other words:
freedom without limits leads to chaos,
and punishment without reason leads to tyranny.
Precisely through the concept Aristotle and measure we see that neither freedom nor punishment can exist without reason.
Justice and punishment: To mend, not to break
U Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle makes a clear distinction between just punishment and mere punishment. A penalty only makes sense if:
- has a purpose
- is proportional to the work
- leads to behavior improvement
A punishment that humiliates and destroys a person, and does not offer the possibility of change, ceases to be moral. Aristotle warns that law without reason becomes violence under the guise of order.
Language as a mirror of character
For Aristotle, the way of speaking reveals the character of a person. Those who do not control their language can hardly control themselves, and it is even more difficult to take responsibility in society.
However, Aristotle does not consider man lost because of one mistake. On the contrary – virtue is learned, and man improves through experience and correction, not through permanent humiliation.
State, law and responsibility
In action Politics, Aristotle points out that the purpose of the state is not only to maintain order, but to enable it good life of citizens. The law should serve the community, not demonstrate force.
A state that punishes excessively:
- produces fear
- stifles dialogue
- creates a riot
A country that does not sanction anything:
- loses authority
- sinking into chaos
The solution, again, is in measure.
In many societies, including ours, certain cases of public speech cause deep divisions. Some defend absolute freedom, others seek severe punishments. However, rarely does anyone ask the key question: what do these cases tell us about the state of society?
Aristotle and measure are foundational to understanding modern social problems, just as I wrote earlier about the importance of mental health and social support in ApA's analysis of diaspora mental health. https://apachannel.com/mentalno-zdravlje-dijaspore/
Why is Aristotle particularly important today?
Modern society often functions through extremes:
- public lynching or complete silence
- repression or anarchy
In such an environment, Aristotle reminds us that:
- Truth without measure becomes destructive.
- punishment without reason becomes injustice
- law without ethics loses legitimacy
His philosophy is not political propaganda, but guide to a healthy society.
Aristotle and measure is not a theory of the past, but a practical tool for understanding today's society.
Conclusion: Measure as the foundation of freedom and justice
Aristotle teaches us that freedom and justice cannot exist without measure.
Without measure, freedom turns into chaos.
Without measure, justice becomes revenge.
A society that wants to progress must:
- allow speech
- to demand responsibility
- punish reasonably
- and leave room for change
In a time of noise, Aristotle brings us back to reason.
In a time of extremes, it reminds us of the middle.
And that is exactly why it is still relevant today.
