The Nicomachean ethics of Aristotle
Aristotle
The Nicomachean ethics of Aristotle
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"The Ethics of Aristotle" by Aristotle is a foundational philosophical treatise written in the 4th century BC. This work serves as a comprehensive exploration of moral philosophy, addressing the nature of good character, virtue, and ultimately happiness, which Aristotle identifies as the chief aim of human action. The text is a part of Aristotle's broader discussions on human conduct, linked with his other work, "Politics," to form a holistic view of moral and civic life. The opening of this significant text introduces the central themes of ethics as they pertain to individual behavior in a societal context. Aristotle posits that every action is directed towards some good, with happiness defined as the ultimate end that people seek. Through a thorough analysis of various modes of life, including the pursuit of pleasure, honor, and contemplation, Aristotle thoughtfully critiques popular notions of happiness. He emphasizes the importance of virtue, which is achieved through habituation and reasoned action, ultimately weaving together ethics with the practical aspects of living well and functioning within the community. The excerpt illustrates Aristotle's method of philosophical inquiry, laying a groundwork for his extensive examination of moral virtues and their application in life.
Contains spoilers for the entire book
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About the book
The Nicomachean Ethics is Aristotle’s inquiry into how a human life should be lived, written in the fourth century BC and probably drawn from his lectures at the Lyceum in Athens; its name is traditionally linked to his son Nicomachus. In ten books it asks what the highest human good is, and answers with eudaimonia, usually translated as happiness or flourishing. Aristotle argues that virtue is a settled disposition formed by practice, a mean between excess and deficiency, as courage lies between cowardice and rashness, and that it is guided by practical wisdom. He devotes two books to friendship and closes with the life of contemplation. Grounded in observation of how people actually live, it remains one of the founding works of moral philosophy.
Characters
The man of practical wisdom — The measure
The person whose judgement determines what the virtuous mean is in each case.
The great-minded man — The crown of the virtues
Who thinks himself worthy of great things and is worthy of them, Aristotle’s portrait of greatness of soul.
Solon — The lawgiver
Whose saying that no one should be called happy until he is dead Aristotle examines.
Priam — The unfortunate king
The king of Troy, whose great misfortunes in old age show that happiness needs some measure of good fortune.
Socrates — The predecessor
Whose view that no one knowingly does wrong Aristotle tests in his discussion of weakness of will.
Eudoxus — The hedonist
The astronomer and philosopher who held pleasure to be the good, an argument Aristotle considers seriously.
About the author
Aristotle (384–322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and scientist, born in Stagira in northern Greece, the son of a court physician to the king of Macedon. At seventeen he went to Athens to study at Plato’s Academy, where he remained for about twenty years. He later tutored the young Alexander the Great, and in 335 BC returned to Athens and founded his own school, the Lyceum. His surviving works, many of them probably lecture notes, range over logic, physics, biology, metaphysics, ethics, politics, rhetoric and poetry, and for centuries defined how these subjects were studied. After Alexander’s death in 323 BC, anti-Macedonian feeling in Athens led him to withdraw to Chalcis, where he died the following year. Medieval scholars, Islamic and Christian alike, referred to him simply as “the Philosopher”.