Page:Eight chapters of Maimonides on ethics.djvu/29

Rh Ethics, or the science of self-guidance, consists, on the one hand, in acquiring for one’s self noble soul-qualities or characteristics, and, on the other hand, of avoiding evil qualities. These qualities, whether good or bad, are called states or conditions, and when acquired each is known as a property. Noble qualities are called virtues, while the vices are termed. The virtues cause good deeds, the vices, bad ones. Ethics is the science of virtues or of good deeds.

The Shemonah Peraḳim, in Maimonides’ system, come, accordingly, under the head of ethics, which in turn is a branch of practical philosophy. They are divided into eight chapters, from which fact the name is derived. This division undoubtedly goes back to Maimonides himself, who, in his short introduction to the Peraḳim, says “and they are eight chapters.” The Arabic equivalent is Thamaniaṭ Fuṣūl, which Wolff uses as a title for his edition of the Arabic text. It seems, however, that neither of these titles originated with Maimonides, for, in Moreh, III. 35, in referring to the Peraḳim, he calls them the Preface to Abot. Whether Ibn Tibbon used the title Shemonah Peraḳim, it is difficult to ascertain. The simplicity of the title has fortunately been the cause of avoiding confusion as to its exact meaning, which is not the case with the title Moreh Nebukim.