In philosophy, especially that of Aristotle, the golden mean is the desirable middle between two extremes, one of excess and the other of deficiency. For example courage, a virtue, if taken to excess would manifest as recklessness and if deficient as cowardice.
The Golden Section is a ratio based on a phi
The Golden Section is also known as the Golden Mean, Golden Ratio and Divine Proportion. It is a ratio or proportion defined by the number Phi (= 1.618033988749895… )
It can be derived with a number of geometric constructions, each of which divides a line segment at the unique point where:
the ratio of the whole line (A) to the large segment (B)
is the same as
the ratio of the large segment (B) to the small segment (C).
In other words, A is to B as B is to C.
This occurs only where A is 1.618 … times B and B is 1.618 … times C.
