Temperance or Sophrosyne

James Adam notes, “We may define Temperance as accord between the naturally better and the naturally worse, on the question which of them should rule.”[1] It is this idea of a middle ground that has been debated from Socrates to the Temperance Movement. Temperance comes from the Greek word “sophrosyne” and was used by Cicero to mean moderation.[2] The word was an ideal to aspire to in early Greek writings, a call for abstention from vices in the 19th century, and today an evaluation tool.

Homer approached sophrosyne as a state of mind. When the nurse comes to Penelope’s chamber and awakens her to report the arrival of Odysseys, Penelope responds, “Dear nurse, the gods have made thee mad, they who can make foolish even one who is full wise, and set the simple-minded in the paths of understanding…”(Homer, 23.10-12).[3] Since the time of Homer, temperance has become elevated in stature.

The idea of temperance was important to Plato. He argues that temperance is a gift for your soul and is the best form of medicine one could hope for.[4] Additionally, temperance was given the same respect as justice, memory, and intelligence.[5] While Isocrates and Plato did not agree on much, Isocrates did value temperance as a quality desirable in leaders.[6]

Modern scholarship utilizes temperance as an evaluation tool. While numerous articles have been written critiquing and evaluating the Temperance Movement of the 1800’s,[7] temperance has become a way to explore how people interact with each other. Of growing importance is the idea of temperance evaluating how we tell and seek truth. Some see temperance as a form of explicitness and if it is not used correctly, instead of finding truth, individuals may focus on each others’ flaws.[8]

Temperance has come full circle: it has moved from a state of mind, to a tool for the soul, to finally being a way to evaluate ideas such as what it means to live and the search for truth. James Adam was right, what sort of temperance do we want in our lives, and will this temperance make us better or worse?[9]


[1] Adam, J. (1902). The Republic of Plato. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press.
[2] Online Entomology Dictionary (2001) Douglas Harper
[3] Homer (1919). Odyssey The Odyssey with an English Translation by A.T. Murray, PH.D. in two volumes. Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd.
[4] Plato’s Charmides, translated by Benjamin Jowett.
[5] Plato (1967). Plato Euthydemus, Protagoras, Gorgias, Meno. Plato in Twelve Volumes, Vol. 3 translated by W.R.M. Lamb. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd.
[6] Poulakos, T. (1997) “Speaking for the Polis: Isocrates’ Rhetorical Education.” University of South Carolina Press, Columbia, SC.
[7] Moore (2007); Stern (1999); Sandell & Stern (1998); Davnovitch (1984); Knight (1976)
[8] Lynch, T. (2001). “Temperance, Temptation, and Silence.” Philosophy 76, 296. pp. 251-269.
[9] Many of the classic texts were found using Perseus.