Final answer:
The two extremes flanking the golden mean are excess and deficiency. The golden mean represents a balanced midpoint in philosophy and is visually evident in art and nature through the golden ratio which signifies balance and proportional harmony.
Step-by-step explanation:
The two extremes that flank the golden mean are referred to as excess and deficiency. In philosophical and ethical discussions, particularly in Aristotelian philosophy, the golden mean represents the desirable middle between two extremes, one of excess and the other of deficiency. For instance, if courage is the golden mean in a situation, the extremes flanking it could be recklessness (excess) and cowardice (deficiency).
The concept of the golden mean can also be seen visually in art and nature, where it represents balance and proportion. Observations of the natural world often reveal instances of the golden ratio, which embodies a type of radial balance and harmonious proportionality present in various natural and human-made structures. The artistic representation of the golden mean uses imagery such as rectangles and spirals to illustrate balance and order.