Aristotle asserted that man had three natures: vegetable (physical), animal (emotional) and rational (mental). Physical nature can be assuaged through exercise and care, emotional nature through indulgence of instinct and urges, and mental through human reason and developed potential. Rational development was considered the most important, as essential to philosophical self-awareness and as uniquely human. Moderation was encouraged, with the extremes seen as degraded and immoral. For example, courage is the moderate virtue between the extremes of cowardice and recklessness. Man should not simply live, but live well with conduct governed by moderate virtue. This is regarded as difficult, as virtue denotes doing the right thing, to the right person, at the right time, to the proper extent, in the correct fashion, for the right reason.
Sexual relationships between doctors and patients can create ethical conflicts, since sexual consent may conflict with fiduciary responsibility of the physician. In the early 1990s it was estimated that 2 to 9% of doctors had violated the rule of sexual relationships between physicians and patients and patients relatives, which may also be prohibited in some jurisdictions, although this prohibition is highly controversial.
