This is governed by moral virtues, such as liberality and temperance. These virtues we don t learn by formal education, but through training and the development of habit. We need to stop here to appreciate a very important aspect of Aristotle s theory regarding the role of the emotions . Pleasure is actually very important for Aristotle, although he is no hedonist. It might be helpful to think of examples of how doing certain things brings us pleasure.
Eating can be pleasurable.
Think about eating chocolate. It doesn t take anyone too sophisticated to enjoy that, but we would think someone quite strange who ate chocolate all day long. Most kinds of sensual pleasures need to be enjoyed in moderation, or they cease to be enjoyable. I can t include myself among those who eat a really wholesome diet, but I can imagine that there is a real pleasure in liking a good variety of fruits, vegetables, meats, etc. This does require habit and training, and the pleasure that comes in doing what s good for you is the true test of your virtue.