Abstract: Continence is an important conception in Aristotle’s ethics.Aristotle held that continence is a moderate disposition between the virtue and the vice,and it acts as a transition for man to reach the virtue.In Book Vll of the Nieomachean Ethics，Aristotle’s discussions of continence in response to Socrates “ akratic actions are impossible” view as the main line,mainly related to the relations between continence and knowledge,incontinence,temperance and practice.He solved the problem of continence and incontinence in analyzing knowledge,and emphasized the relations between continence on the one hand,and temperance and practical wisdom on the other.In this paper,I try to sort out the nature and definition of continence,and illustrates the continence is a good character that follow the right logos relying on reason,which could make us achieve the virtue of temperance by habit,and lead a happy life in a good polis.

Key words: Aristotle, continence, incontinence, practical wisdom