ABSTRACT
Also rather surprising at rst sight in the context of this discussion is the case of the iuvenis, of the youth, who, according to Aristotle, might well be a geometer and mathematician, certainly wise and knowledgeable, but devoid of prudence. is is meant as a sign of the fact that – when reecting on how to attain the good that is humanly achievable – dierent things must be considered; and this requires experience, which the youth happens to lack. Prudence shows itself in praxis (ݘįޡijȡȩȞȘıȚȢʌȡĮțIJȚț߰), even if certain guiding orientations are provided for which Aristotle uses the term “architectonic”. Indeed, prudence and the civilis facultas (ʌȠȜȚIJȚț߰) are fundamentally one and the same.7 is is so even when the “nomothetic”
– which is literally the legislative and in Aristotle’s characterization the “architectonic” aspect – diers from prudence. Specically in this case prudence is “each and every particular good” (proprium uniuscuiusque bonum), which is more clearly oriented towards the self-interest of the individual.8 Aristotle further claries that the equation of prudence to civilis facultas refers to the hexis (ȟȚȢ), or in the more common Latin version the habitus. But they do not constitute an essential sameness. In the Latin translation of Argyropoulos – according to the edition of 1496 – we nd right at the beginning of the sixth chapter, and thus clearly emphasized, the sentence:
“At qui civilis facultas & prudentia idem esse habitus: esse tamen ipsarum non idem est” – “ough civic ability and prudence are one same habit, they are not of the same being”.
