Pete Wright

Yes. Yeah. So I was just fascinated by it. I was fascinated by kind of the history of it. So, yeah, this one hit me out of left field. Where do you want to start? What do you want to do? Do you have a thing? Do you want to talk about anything specific?

Yes. Yeah. So I was just fascinated by it. I was fascinated by kind of the history of it. So, yeah, this one hit me out of left field. Where do you want to start? What do you want to do? Do you have a thing? Do you want to talk about anything specific?

So you start looking at temperance. You start looking at what is really the historical background? Well, it's derived, as you might expect, from the Latin temperantia. Temperantia. Yeah. It's just fun. Sure. Meaning moderation or self-restraint. It is obviously one of the cardinal virtues in classic philosophy and Christian theology. So sure, it's got one foot in religion.

So you start looking at temperance. You start looking at what is really the historical background? Well, it's derived, as you might expect, from the Latin temperantia. Temperantia. Yeah. It's just fun. Sure. Meaning moderation or self-restraint. It is obviously one of the cardinal virtues in classic philosophy and Christian theology. So sure, it's got one foot in religion.

It goes back to Aristotle and Marcus Aurelius and Immanuel Kant, as well as religious figures and movements. Interestingly, in classical philosophy, Aristotle, for example, in Nicomachean Ethics, defined temperance as a virtue that avoids extremes and finds a balance between excess and deficiency. and views it as essential for achieving eudaimonia, or human flourishing.

It goes back to Aristotle and Marcus Aurelius and Immanuel Kant, as well as religious figures and movements. Interestingly, in classical philosophy, Aristotle, for example, in Nicomachean Ethics, defined temperance as a virtue that avoids extremes and finds a balance between excess and deficiency. and views it as essential for achieving eudaimonia, or human flourishing.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I feel like my view of temperance is Aristotelian. Who knew that I would be in the same camp?

I feel like my view of temperance is Aristotelian. Who knew that I would be in the same camp?

Well, and Marcus Aurelius too, the Roman emperor, the Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher described temperance the same way, a virtue that opposes the love of pleasure, emphasizing rational control over one's desires and appetites. Now, interestingly, opposing the love of pleasure is, I take issue with. I don't think we should oppose the love of pleasure. I love pleasure.

Well, and Marcus Aurelius too, the Roman emperor, the Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher described temperance the same way, a virtue that opposes the love of pleasure, emphasizing rational control over one's desires and appetites. Now, interestingly, opposing the love of pleasure is, I take issue with. I don't think we should oppose the love of pleasure. I love pleasure.

But emphasizing rational control over one's desires and one's appetites is not teetotaling to me. It sounds, again, pretty rational.

But emphasizing rational control over one's desires and one's appetites is not teetotaling to me. It sounds, again, pretty rational.

I don't know, because it's not really until the 18th century that we start seeing temperance movements that exist as a response to something specific. Right. That it takes shape as a response to widespread alcohol abuse.

I don't know, because it's not really until the 18th century that we start seeing temperance movements that exist as a response to something specific. Right. That it takes shape as a response to widespread alcohol abuse.

And we see we see public figures coming out and starting to criticize the social and moral impacts of specifically drunkenness.

And we see we see public figures coming out and starting to criticize the social and moral impacts of specifically drunkenness.

right right okay and we're still idiots when we're drunk as humans like that's just that's settled science so uh we've learned we in fact through all of this have learned nothing and it wasn't until the 19th century that temperance societies emerged initially advocating moderate drinking and gradually shifting toward complete abstinence. So they even started Aristotelian.

right right okay and we're still idiots when we're drunk as humans like that's just that's settled science so uh we've learned we in fact through all of this have learned nothing and it wasn't until the 19th century that temperance societies emerged initially advocating moderate drinking and gradually shifting toward complete abstinence. So they even started Aristotelian.