Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.
AristotleRead
For as the interposition of a rivulet, however small, will occasion the line of the phalanx to fluctuate, so any trifling disagreement will be the cause of seditions; but they will not so soon flow from anything else as from the disagreement between virtue and vice, and next to that between poverty and riches.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Small disagreements can lead to larger conflicts, particularly between moral opposites and social classes.
Aristotle highlights the significance of even minor conflicts, suggesting that they can disrupt the harmony of a group, akin to how a small stream can affect the formation of an army. He posits that the most profound challenges arise from conflicts between fundamental moral opposites—virtue and vice—and between contrasting social statuses such as wealth and poverty.
Themes
DisagreementConflictVirtueVicePovertyRichesHarmony
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate about ethics, this quote can illustrate the importance of acknowledging moral disagreements.
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The whole is more than the sum of its parts.
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