"Dire e Fare la cosa giusta. L'epieikeia in Aristotele"

Abstract

The paper proposes a reflection on the Greek concept of epieikeia. The first systematic treatment of epieiekia is attributed to Aristotle (EN, V 14 and Rhet. I, 13). The Aristotelian definition was the starting point of the considerable attention epieikeia has enjoyed in later tradition. However, this attention has been almost exclusively limited to the philosophy of law or, to a lesser extent, to theology as well. This restriction has caused an excessive specialization of the word. Therefore, the first aim is to reconstruct the semantic field of the Greek word epieikes. Its general meaning is adequacy or appropriateness, i.e. the ability to do the right thing at the right time. This general meaning has never been entirely lost, even in most technical contexts. It is even still present (and active) in the Aristotelian elaboration of the concept. In order to show the consistency and richness of Aristotle's epieikeia a two-fold movement is useful: to narrow the broader meaning of the word, and to likewise broaden the narrow meaning.