hexis

Hexis is a Greek term (transliterated as hexis) meaning a stable state, condition, or habit. In classical philosophy, it denotes a lasting disposition of the soul or body—an orientation or tendency toward certain kinds of action and feeling. In English, it is commonly rendered as habit, disposition, or habitus in a broad sense.

In Aristotle’s ethics, hexis is central to his account of virtue. Moral virtues such as courage, temperance, and justice are described as moral hexeis—stable dispositions toward the mean in action and feeling that are acquired through practice. A hexis is more than a momentary impulse or skill: it is a durable state that enables consistent sound judgment and action. Intellectual virtues are treated somewhat differently, as states of the rational part that involve knowledge and reasoning, though the idea of habituation still informs how character is formed.

Historically, the term also appears in medical and philosophical contexts to denote a person’s general constitution or temperament. In Latin translations, hexis is often rendered as habitus, linking the concept to both physical condition and moral disposition.

In modern philosophy and psychology, hexis continues to be referenced in discussions of habit formation, virtue ethics, and the embodied character of persons. It provides a framework for understanding how repeated actions contribute to enduring patterns of behavior, shaping how individuals respond to future situations.