The Pitfalls of Translation, or the Difference Between Modesty and Pusillanimity in Aristotle’s Writings
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18778/1733-0319.27.05Keywords:
Aristotle’s, ethics, mikropsychia, modesty, pusillanimityAbstract
The article raises the issue of the proper understanding of the concept of mikropsychia in Aristotle’s works. In modern Polish translations, the term is translated as “small-mindedness” or “exaggerated modesty”; according to one of the translators, it is the equivalent of Christian “humility”.
In the first part of the article, it is shown that in the writings of Aristotle and his contemporary authors, mikropsychia is a serious moral vice, the source of which is self-ignorance and the resulting low self-esteem. It is often associated with cowardice, envy, greed and selfishness. Understood in this way, this character trait has nothing to do with modesty, which we consider a virtue. The second part of the article discusses various ways of understanding modesty and its place in Aristotle’s ethics. The interrelationship between modesty, pride, moderation and proper self-esteem is also shown.
References
Aristoteles. (1960). Opera. Vol. I-II. I. Bekker, O. Gigon (eds.). Berlin: De Gruyter.
Aristotle. (1925). The Nicomachean Ethics. Transl. W.D. Ross. London: Oxford University Press.
Arystoteles. (1990). O świecie. Przeł. A. Paciorek. W: Arystoteles. Dzieła wszystkie. Tom 2. Warszawa: Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe. 555–600.
Arystoteles. (1993). Fizjognomika. Przeł. L. Regner. W: Arystoteles. Dzieła wszystkie. Tom 4. Warszawa: Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe. 313–333.
Arystoteles. (1993). Zagadnienia przyrodnicze. Przeł. L. Regner. W: Arystoteles. Dzieła wszystkie. Tom 4. Warszawa: Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe. 475–731.
Arystoteles. (1996). Etyka eudemejska. Przeł. W. Wróblewski. W: Arystoteles. Dzieła wszystkie. Tom 5. Warszawa: Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe. 385–493.
Arystoteles. (1996). Etyka nikomachejska. Przeł. D. Gromska. W: Arystoteles. Dzieła wszystkie. Tom 5. Warszawa: Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe. 7–300.
Arystoteles. (1996). Etyka wielka. Przeł. W. Wróblewski. W: Arystoteles. Dzieła wszystkie. Tom 5. Warszawa: Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe. 301–383.
Arystoteles. (1996). O cnotach i wadach. Przeł. L. Regner. W: Arystoteles. Dzieła wszystkie. Tom 5. Warszawa: Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe. 495–505.
Arystoteles. (2001). Polityka. Przeł. L. Piotrowicz. W: Arystoteles. Dzieła wszystkie. Tom 6. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN. 23–226.
Arystoteles. (2001). Retoryka. Przeł. H. Podbielski. W: Arystoteles. Dzieła wszystkie. Tom 6. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN. 265–478.
Aspasius. (1889). In ethica Nicomachea quae supersunt commentaria. G. Heylbut (ed.). In: Commentaria in Aristotelem Graeca 19.1. Berlin: Reimer. 1–186.
Demostenes. (2005). Wybór mów. Przeł. R. Turasiewicz. Wrocław: Ossolineum.
Demosthenes. (1926). Orations. Vol. II: Orations 18–19: De Corona, De Falsa Legatione. J. Henderson (ed.). Trans. C.A. Vince, J.H. Vince. Loeb Classical Library 155. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4159/DLCL.demosthenes-orations_xix_de_falsa_legatione.1926
Isocrates. (1928). To Demonicus. To Nicocles. Nicocles or the Cyprians. Panegyricus. To Philip. Archidamus. J. Henderson (ed.). Trans. G. Norlin. Loeb Classical Library 209. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4159/DLCL.isocrates-discourses_3_nicocles_cyprians.1928
Isocrates. (1945). Evagoras. Helen. Busiris. Plataicus. Concerning the Team of Horses. Trapeziticus. Against Callimachus. Aegineticus. Against Lochites. Against Euthynus. Letters. J. Henderson (ed.). Trans. La Rue Van Hook. Loeb Classical Library 373. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4159/DLCL.isocrates-discourses_20_lochites.1945
Plato. (2013). Republic, Volume II: Books 6–10. Ch. Emlyn-Jones, W. Preddy (eds. and trans.). Loeb Classical Library 276. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4159/DLCL.plato_philosopher-republic.2013
Plato. (2017). Euthyphro. Apology. Crito. Phaedo. Ch. Emlyn-Jones, W. Preddy (eds. and trans.). Loeb Classical Library 36. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4159/DLCL.plato_philosopher-crito.2017
Plato. (2022). Lysis. Symposium. Phaedrus. Ch. Emlyn-Jones, W. Preddy (eds. and trans.). Loeb Classical Library 166. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Barringer, J.B. (2021). Jesus Is Not Just my Homeboy: A Friendship Christology. Journal of Moral Theology 10/1. 158–175.
Crisp, R. (2006). Aristotle on Greatness of Soul. In: R. Kraut (ed.). The Blackwell Guide to Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 158–178. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470776513.ch7
Curzer, H.J. (1991). Aristotle’s much maligned megalopsychos. Australasian Journal of Philosophy, 69/2. 131–151. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00048409112344591
Driver, J. (2004). Uneasy Virtue. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Gauthier, R.A. (1951). Magnanimité: l’idéal de la grandeur dans la philosophie païenne et dnas la théologie chrétienne. Paris: Libraire philosophique J. Vrin.
Gauthier, R.A., Jolif., J.Y. (1970). L’ Éthique à Nicomaque. Introduction, traduction et commmentaire. Vol. 2: Commentaire. Louvain: Publications Universitaires.
Gill, Ch. (2019). Stoic Magnanimity. In: S. Vasalou (ed.). The Measure of Greatness. Philosophers on Magnanimity. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 49–71. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198840688.003.0002
Hanley, R.P. (2002). Aristotle on the Greatness of Greatness of Soul. History of Political Thought 23/1. 1–20.
Herdt, J.A. (2019). Strengthening Hope for the Greatest Things: Aquinas’s Redemption of Magnanimity. In: S. Vasalou (ed.). The Measure of Greatness. Philosophers on Magnanimity. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 72–87. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198840688.003.0003
Hole, B. (2008). Greatness of Soul and Virtues of Ignorance. Lewis & Clark College, Portland. Philosophy Department Honors Theses. https://college.lclark.edu/live/files/13697-benjamin-ho (4.04.2024).
Irwin, T. (2005). Do Virtues Conflict? Aquinas’s Answer. In: S.M. Gardiner (ed.). Virtue Ethics, Old and New. Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press. 60–77. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7591/9781501724275-005
Irwin, T. (2019). Magnanimity as Generosity. In: S. Vasalou (ed.). The Measure of Greatness. Philosophers on Magnanimity. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 21–48. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198840688.003.0001
Kristjánsson, K. (2019). 21st Century Magnanimity: The Relevance of Aristotle’s Ideal of Megalopsychia for Current Debates in Moral Psychology, Moral Education and Moral Philosophy. In: S. Vasalou (ed.). The Measure of Greatness. Philosophers on Magnanimity. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 266–291. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198840688.003.0011
Marenbon, J. (2019). Magnanimity, Christian Ethics, and Paganism in the Latin Middle Ages. In: S. Vasalou (ed.). The Measure of Greatness. Philosophers on Magnanimity. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 88–116. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198840688.003.0004
Osborne, K.P. (1979). Aristotle’s Conception of Megalopsychia. CUNY Academic Works. https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/2202 (04.04.2024).
Ridge, M. (2000). Modesty as a Virtue. American Philosophical Quarterly 37/3. 269–283.
Russell, D. (2005). Aristotle on the Moral Relevance of Self-Respect. In: S.M. Gardiner (ed.). Virtue Ethics, Old and New. Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press. 101–121. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7591/9781501724275-007
Schueler, G.F. (1999). Why IS Modesty a Virtue? Ethics 109/4. 835–841. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/233948
Słownik Języka Polskiego PWN, s.v. małoduszność. https://sjp.pwn.pl/szukaj/ma%C5%82oduszno%C5%9B%C4%87.html (30.03.2024).
Smith, N.D. (2008). Modesty: A Contextual Account. Proceedings and Addresses of the American Philosophical Association 82/2. 23–45.
Sowa, J. (2009). Między erosem i arete. Przyjaźń w etyce Platona i Arystotelesa. Łódź: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego.
Sowa, J. (2012). Kłopoty z „wielkodusznością”, czyli dlaczego nadmierna skromność jest gorsza od dumy? Sprawozdania z czynności i posiedzeń naukowych ŁTN 66. 259–268.
Statman, D. (1992). Modesty, Pride and Realistic Self-Assessment. The Philosophical Quarterly 42(169). 420–438. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/2220284
Stern-Gillet, S. (2014). Souls Great and Small: Aristotle on Self-Knowledge, Friendship, and Civic Engagement. In: S. Stern-Gillet, G.M. Gurtler (eds.). Ancient and Medieval Concepts of Friendship. New York: State University of New York Press. 51–83. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/9781438453668-004
Stump, E. (2022). Humility, Courage, Magnanimity: a Thomistic Account. Scientia et Fides 10/2. 23–29. DOI: https://doi.org/10.12775/SetF.2022.016
Szymborska, W. (2023). Wiersze wszystkie. Kraków: Wydawnictwo Znak.
Vasalou, S. (ed.). (2019). The Measure of Greatness. Philosophers on Magnanimity. Oxford: Oxford University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198840688.001.0001
Ward, A. (2013). https://www.cpsa-acsp.ca/papers-2013/Ward-Ann.pdf (04.04.2024).
Wielki Słownik Języka Polskiego, s.v. małoduszność. https://wsjp.pl/haslo/podglad/101133/malodusznosc (30.03.2024).
Downloads
Published
Versions
- 2024-10-30 (2)
- 2024-10-30 (1)
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
