An Interesting Mental Picture, at least...

Our Greek & Roman Letters class has, for the last few weeks, been studying Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics. We've been having rather a difficult time understanding it, and Mr. K has been resorting to using some very interesting analogies to try to make it at least somewhat coherent for us. Today, he was trying to clarify the difference between virtues and the arts, and ended up giving a rather interesting mental picture: (our responses are bracketed)

"If I give alms to the poor, is that an act of generosity? [Yes] If I'm mugged by a homeless person, and he takes my money, is that an act of generosity? [No, because you did not give your consent] But if I put a gun to Leo Kottke's head and say, 'Play, boy,' and he gives an outstanding performance, is it nonetheless a good performance, though he did not choose it?"

Honestly, it's much easier to picture him threatening Leo Kottke at the tip of the sword than at gunpoint...