Q0591
“The virtues are means between two extremes; the good character is the…” — Maimonides (Eight Chapters (Shemonah Perakim) 4)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Eight Chapters (Shemonah Perakim) 4. Theme: virtue.
English
The virtues are means between two extremes; the good character is the mean disposition.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Eight Chapters (Shemonah Perakim) 4 and files it under Jewish Rationalism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Maimonides
Moses ben Maimon (1138–1204), known as Maimonides or Rambam, fled Almohad persecution from Córdoba to Fez and finally to Egypt, where he served as a communal leader and court physician. He codified Jewish law in the Mishneh Torah and wrote the Guide of the Perplexed for readers torn between Torah and Aristotelian science.
How to read this passage
Virtue ethics asks not only which acts are right, but what kind of person one becomes. Courage, justice, temperance, and wisdom are classic Western lists; Confucian ren and yi offer related but distinct vocabularies. This passage enters that discussion through virtue, meaning, ethics.
Concepts in this quote
- Virtue
- Virtue names excellences of character—habits of perception and action oriented toward the good.
- Meaning
- Meaning appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat meaning as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
- Ethics
- Ethics appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat ethics as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Maimonides. (n.d.). The virtues are means between two extremes; the good character is the mean disposition. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0591
MLA: Maimonides. “The virtues are means between two extremes; the….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0591.
Chicago: Maimonides. “The virtues are means between two extremes; the….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0591.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “The virtues are means between two extremes; the…”?
The passage is attributed to Maimonides, Eight Chapters (Shemonah Perakim) 4. The archive attributes this English wording to Eight Chapters (Shemonah Perakim) 4 and files it under Jewish Rationalism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Maimonides mean by virtue?
Virtue ethics asks not only which acts are right, but what kind of person one becomes. Courage, justice, temperance, and wisdom are classic Western lists; Confucian ren and yi offer related but distinct vocabularies. This passage enters that discussion through virtue, meaning, ethics.