ABSTRACT
This chapter investigates Aristotle's philosophy of virtue. According to Aristotle, hexis is a special sort of disposition, in virtue of which the object disposed is both stably and well disposed, in virtue of which the object is in a natural and perfect condition, and in virtue of which the object has a dispositional property to perform its characteristic ergon well. Aristotle tells people more about the virtues of character; he says that they have to do with pleasure and pain because they have to do with feelings, and feelings are intrinsically accompanied by pleasure and pain. The simplest hypothesis is probably that which is developed by long training is not a volatile state, and all traits of character are developed by long training. If hexeis are the only character traits which cause feelings to occur reasonably or the reverse, then Aristotle's conclusion will be secure, even from the competing suggestion that virtues could be mere dispositions.
