Meson

The golden mean or virtuous middle ground between two extremes, which Aristotle established as the guiding standard for ethical action.

The Meson is the Aristotelian principle of the middle position between excess and deficiency (e.g., courage as the mean between cowardice and recklessness). The Stoics adopted this concept structurally, but replaced its standard: whereas Aristotle calibrates the Meson through the virtue of character and external goods, the Stoics work with the absolute Logos as their standard. The Meson nonetheless remains relevant as a practical balance of judgment.