Habit, Choice, and Action. Aristotle’s Analysis of Ethical Virtue

In Creature dell’abitudine. Abito, costume, seconda natura da Aristotele alle scienze cognitive, Marco Piazza argues that, for Aristotle, habit stabilizes human action, making it regular, albeit contingent and voluntary. Drawing on his interpretation, this article examines the relationship between habit, choice, and action in Aristotle’s theory, focusing on how habit forms the basis of virtue, morally shaping human nature while preserving its contingency. To this end, it examines the formation and essence of ethical virtue, analyzes the connection between virtue and choice, and elucidates the relationship between choice and contingency.