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The sentence says: "So the virtuous man will not take what is said by others, or if he does he will nonetheless reprove them." What is the definition of take here? On Lexico, I find 4.9 might be appropriate: regard or view in a specified way; On MW, I find 18a might be appropriate: deal with.

My own understanding is "take what others[dishonorable] said seriously". Did I understand it correctly? Thank!

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  • Where did you find this quotation? Are you sure it's accurate?
    – Kate Bunting
    Commented Jun 27, 2022 at 16:24
  • There are contexts within which it is stated. I know it looks bizarre at first sight. The text comes from Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics - Book Four - chapter 6: "Any virtuous men of this type will refuse to give pleasure and will choose to cause pain over what is dishonorable and harmful to himself or to the person doing an injury or a great wrong. Although his opposition brings not a little offense, he will disregard it." The quotation is the commentary of the text above.
    – H.Li
    Commented Jun 27, 2022 at 16:40
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    As I said in my comment on another of your questions, this is obviously a very old translation.
    – Kate Bunting
    Commented Jun 27, 2022 at 16:55
  • It means accept.
    – Lambie
    Commented Jun 27, 2022 at 17:35

2 Answers 2

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It means the virtuous man will not simply accept what others say, or that if he does, he will at least object to whatever is objectionable in what they say.

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  • Is this "accept" in the sense "receive as adequate, valid, or suitable", "receive favorably", "believe or come to believe as valid or correct", or "tolerate or submit to (something unpleasant or undesired)"?
    – Stuart F
    Commented Jun 27, 2022 at 16:44
  • Yes, that is the intended meaning.
    – Charles B. Cameron
    Commented Aug 9, 2022 at 14:12
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It's specifically meaning 4.10 in Lexico (UK) "Submit to, tolerate, or endure."

Thomas Aquinas says "Any virtuous man of this type will refuse to give pleasure and will choose to cause pain over what is dishonorable and harmful to himself or to the person doing an injury or a great wrong. Although his opposition brings not a little offense, he will disregard it.[825]"

The commentary explains that the virtuous man will not tolerate offensive things.

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  • I thought about this definition, "submit to, tolerate", but my concern is if he tolerated, why does he reprove? Do you think it's contradictory?
    – H.Li
    Commented Jun 27, 2022 at 16:50
  • What do you think 4.6 in Lexico "experience or be affected by"? Put it in the sentence, the virtuous men won't be affected[persuaded etc.] by the dishonorable, but if they were affected, the virtuous men would nonetheless reprove the dishonorable, no matter how much offense it means to the dishonorable.
    – H.Li
    Commented Jun 27, 2022 at 17:29

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