On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life Through Great Books

by Karen Swallow Prior

Yet temperance is more than merely restraining from vices. While restraint is one aspect of temperance, there is more to it than simply negation. Inherent to temperance is balance, as evident in the Old English word temprian, which means to “bring something into the required condition by mixing it with something else.”30 This is why the process of strengthening a metal is called “tempering.” Evenness or balance brought about through mixing diverse elements can be seen in many spheres: the truth spoken in love, vegetation that flourishes in receiving both sun and rain, the one-flesh relationship formed by the marriage of a man and a woman, or the distinct satisfaction of a salty snack chased down by a sweet beverage. Temprian is derived from the Latin temperare, which means to “observe proper measure, be moderate, restrain oneself” or to “mix correctly, mix in due proportion; regulate, rule, govern, manage.” This word, in turn, may come from another root, tempus, from which we get the word temporal, related to time and seasons.31 (Interestingly, the original meaning of tempus is likely “stretch” or “measure.” From this comes the word temple, a space made sacred by being marked out and marked off.32)

Origins of the word "temperance."