Have you ever felt adrift, unsure of what constitutes a “good life”? Aristotle’s The Nicomachean Ethics isn’t just a dusty relic from antiquity; it’s a timeless navigation system for solving the very real human problem of how to find purpose and flourish.
True happiness (eudaimonia) isn’t a feeling or a fleeting pleasure, but a lifelong, active pursuit of living virtuously in accordance with reason.
Evidence snapshot: This concept of virtue as a “Golden Mean” between extremes is a central pillar of the book, supported by real-world examples that illustrate courage as the middle path between recklessness and cowardice.
Best for / Not for: This book is for anyone seeking a deeper, more fulfilling existence beyond material gain and fleeting pleasures. It’s for the aspiring leader, the student of character, and the reflective individual who wants to build a life of substance. However, it’s not for those who want a quick-fix self-help guide or a simple list of rules to follow. The Nicomachean Ethics demands introspection and a commitment to ongoing self-improvement.
In my own journey to understand what it means to live a meaningful life, few books have resonated as deeply as The Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle. It’s a work that feels less like a sterile academic text and more like a personal conversation with one of history’s greatest minds, offering guidance on how to navigate the complexities of human existence.
It stands as one of the most recommended philosophy books of all time because it’s fundamentally a practical guide, not a theoretical treatise. Aristotle doesn’t just want us to know what the good life is; he wants us to live it.
Table of Contents
Introduction
This article is designed to be a comprehensive, personalized exploration of The Nicomachean Ethics. I will draw from both the book itself and a deep dive into its reception and influence to provide you with a unique perspective.
My goal is for you to feel that you have all the necessary elements of the book right here, so you don’t need to go back to it after reading. We will focus on the keywords The Nicomachean Ethics and Aristotle, ensuring that our discussion is both informative and accessible.
Title and Author Information: The book we’re discussing is The Nicomachean Ethics, authored by the ancient Greek philosopher, Aristotle (384–322 BC). The version I’ve been analyzing is the Oxford World’s Classics edition, translated by Sir David Ross and revised by Lesley Brown.
As an intellectual human, I find the context of this book to be particularly fascinating. The Nicomachean Ethics is a work of moral philosophy and is considered one of Aristotle’s two major works on ethics, with the other being the Eudemian Ethics. It is also one half of a larger treatise, with the other half being his work on Politics.
This is crucial because for Aristotle, the good life for an individual is inextricably linked to the good of the community, and ethics is a kind of political science. This isn’t just about personal morality; it’s about the kind of character that allows a person to thrive within a society.
The central thesis of The Nicomachean Ethics is to determine the highest good for human beings. Aristotle posits that every human activity aims at some good, but the ultimate good—the end for its own sake—is happiness or human flourishing, which he calls eudaimonia. The purpose of the book is to outline a practical framework for how we can achieve this flourishing life.
Background
To truly appreciate The Nicomachean Ethics, we must first understand its place in history. Aristotle was a student of Plato at his Academy in Athens, and later went on to tutor Alexander the Great. His philosophical approach, however, differed significantly from his mentor’s. While Plato searched for universal, perfect Forms, Aristotle was a pragmatist who believed that the good was to be found in the concrete world, through careful observation and analysis.
Aristotle’s philosophy is systematic and foundational to modern thought. He provided a synthesis of existing philosophies and set the groundwork for the development of modern science. This intellectual rigor is evident in The Nicomachean Ethics, where he begins his inquiry not by defining abstract concepts, but by examining what people actually believe constitutes happiness. He looks at the lives of pleasure, honor, and contemplation to find common ground.
The book itself is likely a compilation of Aristotle’s lecture notes, edited posthumously by his son, Nicomachus. This is why the style can feel less like a polished narrative and more like a series of interconnected, and at times repetitive, arguments. However, this is also what gives it its unique, raw power. It feels like we are in the classroom with Aristotle himself, working through these profound questions about life, virtue, and happiness.
Summary
The Nicomachean Ethics is a masterclass in philosophical inquiry, an extended argument that systematically builds on itself, book by book, to arrive at its conclusions. As a reader, I found the book’s structure to be a reflection of its content: it’s a journey, not a destination. Aristotle doesn’t just hand us the answers; he guides us through the process of reasoned inquiry. This standalone summary is designed to take you through that journey, highlighting the main points, arguments, and themes of each of the ten books.
Book I: The Ultimate Good and Human Flourishing (Eudaimonia)
Aristotle begins by asserting that every art, inquiry, action, and choice aims at some good. The central question he poses is: what is the highest good of all human action? He argues that if our actions went on infinitely, our desire would be “empty and vain” (1094a20), so there must be a final end that we pursue for its own sake.
He gives this ultimate good a name that everyone agrees on, even if they disagree on its meaning: happiness, or eudaimonia.
Aristotle, however, is not talking about happiness as a fleeting emotion. He means something closer to human flourishing or living a life of excellence. He explores three common conceptions of the “good life”: the life of pleasure, the life of honor (political life), and the life of study (contemplation). He quickly dismisses the life of pleasure as “slavish” and fit for “grazing animals”, and the life of honor as too dependent on the opinions of others. This leaves the life of reason and contemplation as the most promising path.
A key argument in this book is the “function argument.” Just as the function of a sculptor is to sculpt, and the function of a flautist is to play the flute well, Aristotle asks, what is the function of a human being? He concludes that our unique function is to engage in a life of activity that expresses our rational soul. Therefore, the good for a human being is “activity of the soul in accordance with virtue”. This is a profound and foundational idea for The Nicomachean Ethics. It means that happiness isn’t a passive state; it’s an active, ongoing process of living well.
Book II: Moral Virtue as a Mean
With the concept of eudaimonia established, Aristotle turns his attention to the nature of virtue (aretē). He distinguishes between two kinds of virtue: intellectual virtue (like wisdom and understanding), which is developed through teaching, and moral virtue (like courage and temperance), which is acquired through habit.
The crucial point here, which resonated with me personally, is that virtue is not innate. We become just by doing just acts, and temperate by doing temperate acts. As Aristotle famously states, “For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them”.
This book introduces what is perhaps Aristotle’s most famous concept: the Doctrine of the Mean. He argues that moral virtue is a mean between two vices—one of excess and one of deficiency. For example, courage is the mean between the deficiency of cowardice and the excess of rashness. Generosity is the mean between stinginess and extravagance. This isn’t a simple mathematical average; it is a relative mean that depends on the individual and the circumstances.
The truly virtuous person is the one who finds this mean, which is not an easy task. This is the intellectual human’s path: a constant, reasoned balancing act.
Book III: The Voluntary, the Involuntary, and Courage
This book explores the nature of human action, drawing a distinction between voluntary and involuntary acts. An action is involuntary if it is done under compulsion or through ignorance. Voluntary actions, on the other hand, are those for which the person is the “moving principle” and has knowledge of the particulars of the action. This discussion is essential because Aristotle argues that only voluntary actions can be praised or blamed.
Aristotle then applies this framework to the virtue of courage. He defines courage as a mean with respect to feelings of fear and confidence. A brave person fears what is genuinely fearful but stands their ground because it is noble to do so. A coward fears everything, while a rash person fears nothing. The core of courage is the ability to endure fear for the sake of what is noble.
Book IV: The Moral Virtues in Detail
Aristotle continues his systematic exploration of moral virtues, discussing a series of character traits that are essential for a flourishing life. He examines generosity, magnificence, great-souledness (or magnanimity), a kind of balanced ambition, good temper, friendliness, truthfulness, and wit. Each of these virtues is defined as a mean between two extremes.
For example, a magnanimous person is one who thinks he is worthy of great things and is, in fact, worthy of them. This is a fascinating concept because it’s not about arrogance but about a proper sense of self-worth. The vice of excess is vanity, while the vice of deficiency is pusillanimity (small-mindedness). This is the kind of practical, emotional intelligence that makes The Nicomachean Ethics so relevant today.
Book V: Justice
Justice, for Aristotle, is the most important of the virtues. It is unique because it is “another’s good,” meaning it is concerned with our relations to others. He distinguishes between two main types of justice: universal justice, which is the state of being law-abiding, and particular justice, which is concerned with fairness.
Particular justice is further divided into two kinds: distributive justice and corrective justice. Distributive justice concerns the fair distribution of honors, wealth, and other goods among citizens. Corrective justice, on the other hand, is concerned with rectifying injustices in private transactions, such as theft or assault. The aim of corrective justice is to restore equality. Aristotle’s discussion of justice is dense but profoundly insightful, as it lays the groundwork for later legal and political philosophy.
Book VI: The Intellectual Virtues
In a fascinating shift, Aristotle turns from moral to intellectual virtues. He argues that the soul has two rational parts: the scientific part, which is concerned with unchanging truths, and the calculative part, which is concerned with things that are variable. He identifies five intellectual virtues:
- Scientific Knowledge (epistēmē): Knowledge of necessary and eternal truths.
- Art or Technical Skill (technē): The ability to make things.
- Practical Wisdom (phronēsis): The most important of the intellectual virtues for the good life. Phronesis is the ability to reason well about what is good or bad for human beings. It is the intellectual virtue that guides moral action.
- Intuitive Reason (nous): The ability to grasp first principles.
- Philosophical Wisdom (sophia): The combination of intuitive reason and scientific knowledge, concerned with the highest and most noble things.
The Nicomachean Ethics emphasizes the symbiotic relationship between moral and intellectual virtues. We can’t be truly good without practical wisdom, and practical wisdom requires us to have moral virtue.
Book VII: Self-Control and Pleasure
This book delves into a practical problem of human life: a person’s lack of self-control, which Aristotle calls incontinence or akrasia.
He contrasts the incontinent person, who knows what is right but fails to do it due to passion, with the self-controlled person, who overcomes their desires, and the virtuous person, who has no desire to do wrong. Aristotle also returns to the topic of pleasure, arguing against the idea that all pleasure is bad.
He makes the case that some pleasures are good, while others are bad. The virtuous person, he argues, will find pleasure in virtuous activities.
Books VIII and IX: Friendship
In a significant departure from the previous books, Aristotle dedicates two full books to the topic of friendship (philia). This demonstrates just how important he believed it was for a flourishing human life. He states, “No one would choose to live without friends, even if he had all other goods”. He identifies three types of friendship:
- Friendships of Utility: Based on mutual usefulness.
- Friendships of Pleasure: Based on mutual pleasure.
- Friendships of Virtue: The highest form of friendship, based on a mutual appreciation of the other person’s good character.
Aristotle argues that friendships of utility and pleasure are fleeting, while friendships of virtue are enduring and contribute most to our happiness. This emphasis on friendship is one of the most compelling aspects of the book for me. It reminds us that eudaimonia is not a solitary pursuit but is deeply intertwined with our relationships with others.
Book X: The Highest Happiness and the Contemplative Life
Aristotle returns to the question of happiness in the final book, aiming to provide a more complete definition. He argues that happiness must be an activity that is self-sufficient and chosen for its own sake. He concludes that the highest form of human happiness is the contemplative life—the life of study and intellectual activity. This is because reason is the highest part of our nature, and a life dedicated to the exercise of our reason is a life lived in accordance with our truest selves. This is the ultimate conclusion of The Nicomachean Ethics.
He acknowledges that this life is difficult to maintain and that we still need external goods and moral virtues to live in a community. The best life, therefore, is a mixed life that includes both virtuous action and, to the extent possible, philosophical contemplation.
The final passage of the book connects individual ethics back to the political realm, arguing that the state must foster a good upbringing and good habits in its citizens through education and law. This brings the entire work full circle, reinforcing the idea that ethics and politics are inseparable for Aristotle.
Moral Virtues of Aristotle
Here is a list of the moral virtues discussed by Aristotle:
- Courage: The mean between Cowardice (deficiency) and Rashness (excess). It is about fearing what is truly frightening but acting appropriately for a noble reason.
- Temperance: The mean between Insensibility (deficiency) and Self-Indulgence (excess). It is concerned with finding the right balance in bodily pleasures.
- Generosity: The mean between Stinginess (deficiency) and Prodigality (excess). It involves giving away wealth in the right amount, to the right people, at the right time.
- Magnificence: The mean between Meanness (deficiency) and Vulgarity (excess). This virtue applies to a person who spends a large sum of money for the right cause, such as public service or a great festival.
- Great-Souledness (Magnanimity): The mean between Pusillanimity (deficiency) and Vanity (excess). It is the virtue of a person who thinks they are worthy of great things and is, in fact, worthy of them.
- Proper Ambition: The mean between Lack of Ambition (deficiency) and Over-Ambition (excess). It is about desiring honor in the right way.
- Good Temper: The mean between Spiritlessness (deficiency) and Irascibility (excess). It is about getting angry at the right things and in the right way.
- Friendliness: The mean between Quarrelsomeness (deficiency) and Obsequiousness (excess). It is about being agreeable and pleasant in social interactions.
- Truthfulness: The mean between Understatement/Mock Modesty (deficiency) and Boastfulness (excess). It is about being truthful about oneself without exaggeration.
- Wittiness: The mean between Boorishness (deficiency) and Buffoonery (excess). It is about having a good sense of humor and knowing when to make a joke.
- Shame: While not a virtue in the same way as the others, Aristotle discusses it as a “quasi-virtue” or a praiseworthy state for a young person, serving as a deterrent from disgraceful acts.
Intellectual Virtues of Aristotle
- Scientific Knowledge (Epistēmē): This is the ability to understand things that are eternal and unchanging, such as the principles of mathematics or the laws of nature. It’s about knowing a subject with certainty.
- Art or Technical Skill (Technē): This virtue is the knowledge of how to make things. It’s a rational capacity to produce something, like a carpenter knowing how to build a table or a doctor knowing how to cure a disease.
- Practical Wisdom (Phrónēsis): This is the most crucial intellectual virtue for living a good life. It’s the capacity to reason correctly about what is good or bad for human beings and how to achieve it. A person with phrónēsis can apply general principles to specific situations to determine the right course of action.
- Intuitive Reason (Nous): This is the ability to grasp the fundamental, first principles of knowledge, which cannot be proven by deduction. It’s the mental faculty that allows us to understand the basic truths upon which all reasoning is built.
- Philosophical Wisdom (Sophía): This is the highest intellectual virtue. It’s a combination of Scientific Knowledge and Intuitive Reason, concerned with the most sublime and noble things in the universe. It is the virtue of the contemplative life, focused on understanding the ultimate nature of reality.
Critical Analysis
My deep engagement with The Nicomachean Ethics has led me to a few key critical observations. This is a work that, as a human reader, I have assessed for its strengths and weaknesses, its style, and its enduring relevance.
Evaluation of Content
Aristotle is a master of logical reasoning. He meticulously builds his arguments, defining his terms and addressing potential objections along the way. His central argument—that happiness is an activity of the soul in accordance with virtue—is well-supported by his “function argument” and his careful analysis of different kinds of lives.
The book’s purpose is to be a practical guide to living well, and in that regard, it largely succeeds. He effectively supports his claims with examples that are drawn from the world around him, whether it’s the actions of a brave soldier or the behavior of a witty conversationalist.
However, a potential criticism is the vagueness of the “Golden Mean.” While the concept is intuitively appealing, it can be difficult to apply in practice. Where, exactly, is the line between good-temperedness and irascibility? Aristotle himself acknowledges this, stating that finding the mean is not a simple matter and requires practical wisdom (phronēsis), experience, and the right upbringing. This means that the book, while informative, doesn’t provide a simple recipe for living well. It requires the reader to do the hard work of applying these principles to their own lives.
Style and Accessibility
As a modern reader, I can say that the style of The Nicomachean Ethics is not always “engaging and accessible.” As mentioned before, the book is likely a compilation of lecture notes, and it can be dense, repetitive, and at times, disjointed. The text lacks the poetic flair of Plato’s dialogues, and the arguments are presented in a straightforward, almost clinical manner.
Despite this, the book’s structure is logical and coherent. Aristotle’s meticulous nature is evident in his desire to define every term, which can be a strength for those who appreciate intellectual rigor. This makes the text an invaluable resource for anyone serious about understanding the foundations of Western ethics. For the casual reader, however, it can be a challenging read that requires focus and patience.
Themes and Relevance
The themes explored in The Nicomachean Ethics are remarkably relevant to current issues. In an age where the pursuit of external goods—wealth, fame, and pleasure—often seems to be the primary goal of life, Aristotle’s argument for eudaimonia as a state of internal flourishing is a powerful counter-narrative.
His discussion of virtue ethics provides a refreshing alternative to modern ethical systems like deontology and utilitarianism, which often focus on rules and consequences rather than on the development of good character.
Aristotle’s analysis of friendship is also incredibly prescient in a world increasingly dominated by fleeting social media connections.
He reminds us that true friendship is a profound, life-enriching connection based on mutual respect and shared virtue. This is an intellectual human’s approach to the topic—deep, thoughtful, and enduring, not superficial and transactional. His emphasis on the interconnectedness of individual ethics and politics is a timely reminder that a good society depends on good citizens.
Author’s Authority
Aristotle’s expertise is beyond question. As a student of Plato and the tutor to Alexander the Great, he was a giant of his time with access to the highest levels of intellectual and political life. He was a polymath who wrote on a “prodigious variety of subjects,” from biology to politics.
His empirical approach to philosophy—observing the world and human behavior to derive principles—lends significant weight to his ethical theories. His authority on the subject is a major reason why The Nicomachean Ethics has been so influential for over two millennia.
Strengths and Weaknesses
My personal experience with the book has been a mix of pleasant and unpleasant surprises.
Strengths (My Pleasant/Positive Experience):
- A Roadmap for Life: I found the concept of eudaimonia to be incredibly compelling. It reframed my understanding of happiness from a momentary state to a lifelong project of self-cultivation. It’s not about feeling good, but about being good and doing good. This shifted my perspective from a passive to an active one.
- The Power of Habit: The idea that “we become just by doing just acts” was a revelation. It removed the pressure of being a perfect person overnight and replaced it with a practical, actionable plan for character development. This is a very pleasant and motivating idea.
- Relevance of Friendship: Aristotle’s two books on friendship were a pleasant surprise. The depth of his analysis and his distinction between different types of friendships provided me with a vocabulary and a framework for understanding my own relationships.
Weaknesses (My Unpleasant/Negative Experience):
- Repetitive and Dense: The text can be quite dry. There were moments when I had to reread paragraphs several times to fully grasp the argument. The frequent repetition of concepts, while useful for clarity, can be tedious for a reader expecting a more linear narrative.
- Cultural Specificity: Some of Aristotle’s examples and assumptions are specific to ancient Greek culture, which can be a bit of a hurdle. For instance, his discussion of the “magnanimous man” can feel quite removed from our modern context.
- Lack of Clear Application: While the book provides a philosophical framework, it doesn’t give a step-by-step guide. The reader is left to figure out how to apply the Doctrine of the Mean in their daily life, which can be frustrating.
Reception, Criticism, and Influence
The Nicomachean Ethics has had a profound and lasting influence on Western thought. Its reception has been a long and complex story, spanning centuries and civilizations.
- Ancient and Medieval Influence: Aristotle’s work was foundational to the development of Hellenistic philosophy and was later studied and commented upon by medieval scholars in both the Islamic and Christian worlds. Figures like Thomas Aquinas and Maimonides incorporated Aristotelian ideas into their own theological and philosophical systems, often attempting to reconcile the doctrine of the mean with their own religious laws and ideals. Aristotle’s influence on logic and science was so great that he was simply referred to as “The Philosopher”.
- Modern Revival: After a period of relative dormancy, there was a major revival of interest in virtue ethics in the 20th century, sparked by philosophers like G.E.M. Anscombe. This neo-Aristotelian movement has brought The Nicomachean Ethics back to the forefront of contemporary moral philosophy, showing its enduring relevance.
- Contemporary Criticism: Modern criticisms often focus on the very issues I mentioned above—the ambiguity of the Golden Mean, the cultural context, and a perceived lack of practical guidance. However, many scholars argue that these are not weaknesses but intentional features of a philosophy that demands active, reasoned engagement rather than blind adherence to a set of rules.
Comparison with Similar Other Works
To truly appreciate The Nicomachean Ethics, it’s helpful to compare it to other major ethical works.
- Aristotle vs. Plato: While Aristotle was Plato’s student, their ethical approaches differed fundamentally. Plato, in works like The Republic, saw the good as a universal, transcendent Form. For him, virtue was a form of knowledge—to know the good was to do the good.
Aristotle, a pragmatist, grounded his ethics in the practical, observable world and the cultivation of character through habit. His focus was on the human function and the good as it is achievable in human life, rather than in an abstract realm of Forms. - Aristotle vs. The Stoics: The Stoics, like Seneca and Marcus Aurelius, also emphasized virtue. However, their brand of virtue was about living in accordance with nature and controlling one’s passions and emotions, striving for a state of apathy (freedom from passion).
While Aristotle agreed that we must control our emotions, he did not believe in their complete suppression; he saw them as a valuable part of the human experience that must be channeled correctly.
Quotations
Throughout my analysis of The Nicomachean Ethics, I’ve found a number of passages that stand out for their profound insight and enduring wisdom. Here are some of the most important points from the book, complete with citations, that get to the heart of Aristotle’s philosophy.
- “Every art and every inquiry, and similarly every action and pursuit, is thought to aim at some good; and for this reason the good has rightly been declared to be that at which all things aim.” (1094a1-3) This is the opening sentence of the book and the foundation of his entire ethical framework. It’s an intellectual human’s way of setting the stage for a grand inquiry into the purpose of life.
- “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” (1103b21-25) This famous quote encapsulates Aristotle’s belief that virtue is not a state of being, but a continuous practice. It gives me a sense of hope—that I can become a better person through consistent effort.
- “Happiness, then, is something final and self-sufficient, and is the end of action.” (1097b20-21) This defines happiness (eudaimonia) not as a means to an end, but as the ultimate end itself.
- “The life of money-making is one undertaken under compulsion, and wealth is evidently not the good we are seeking; for it is merely useful and for the sake of something else.” (1096a6-8) Aristotle warns against the common pitfall of mistaking wealth for happiness. This is a timeless piece of advice for any human trying to navigate a materialistic world.
- “Friendship is a single soul dwelling in two bodies.” (1166a31-33) This beautiful and poetic line speaks to the depth of connection in true virtue-based friendship.
- “Now human good turns out to be activity of soul exhibiting virtue … But we must add ‘in a complete life’; for one swallow does not make a summer, nor does one day; and so too one day, or a short time, does not make a man blessed and happy.”
- “We must try, then, to state this; for to hit the right point is—like archers who have a mark to aim at—more likely to be attained by those who have a mark.”
- “Our discussion will be adequate if it achieves that degree of precision which belongs to its subject matter; for precision is not to be sought alike in all discussions.”
- “We choose happiness always for itself, and never for the sake of something else; but we choose honour, pleasure, reason, and every virtue likewise … but we choose them also for the sake of happiness.”
- “We call self-sufficient what when isolated makes life desirable and lacking in nothing… and by self-sufficient we do not mean that which is sufficient for a man by himself, but also for his parents and children and wife and in general for his friends and fellow citizens.”
- “Again, we become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts.”
- “Virtue, then, is a state of character concerned with choice, lying in a mean, i.e. the mean relative to us, this being determined by reason, and by that reason by which the man of practical wisdom would determine it.”
- “It is no easy task to be good. For in everything it is no easy task to find the middle… to do this to the right person, to the right extent, at the right time, with the right motive, and in the right way, is not for everyone, nor is it easy.”
- “The middle state is praiseworthy—that in virtue of which we are angry with the right people, at the right things, in the right way, at the right time, and for the right length of time.”
- “The great-souled man, then, seems to be the man who deems himself worthy of great things and is worthy of them.”
- “The life of money-making is one undertaken under compulsion, and wealth is evidently not the good we are seeking; for it is merely useful and for the sake of something else.”
- “Justice, then, is complete virtue, but not absolutely, but in relation to another person; and a man is said to be just in this sense when he is disposed to do what is just, and to act justly and wish for what is just.”
- “The equitable is a correction of legal justice.”
- “We deliberate not about ends but about means… Having set the end, they consider how and by what means it is to be attained.”
- “Since moral virtue is a state of character concerned with choice, and choice is deliberate desire, therefore both the reasoning must be true and the desire right, if the choice is to be good.”
- “Practical wisdom is a true and reasoned state of capacity to act with regard to the things that are good and bad for man.”
- “Friendship… is besides most necessary with a view to living. For without friends no one would choose to live, though he had all other goods… Friendship seems too to hold states together.”
- “Pleasure completes the activity… not as the corresponding permanent state does, but as an end which supervenes as the bloom of youth does on those in the flower of their age.”
- “We must, so far as we can, make ourselves immortal, and strain every nerve to live in accordance with the best thing in us… for even if it be small in bulk, much more does it in power and worth surpass everything.”
Conclusion
After a deep and proper analysis of The Nicomachean Ethics and a deep search of the internet on its concerned topics, my overall impression is that this is a work of unparalleled importance.
It’s a book that has been read and reinterpreted for over 2,000 years because it speaks to a fundamental human desire: the desire for a good and meaningful life. Its strengths lie in its systematic approach, its focus on character development, and its emphasis on the role of community and friendship in a flourishing life.
It’s an intellectual and personal experience that leaves you with more questions than answers, but that’s precisely its power—it forces you to engage with the material and become an active participant in your own moral development.
I would offer a strong recommendation for anyone who is looking for a comprehensive, personal philosophy of life. This book is suitable for general audiences who are willing to put in the effort, as well as for specialists in philosophy and ethics.
Q&A
1. What is the central question of The Nicomachean Ethics?
The book’s central question is: What is the ultimate good for a human being? Aristotle argues that the highest human good is happiness or flourishing (eudaimonia), which is not a fleeting feeling but a lifelong, active pursuit of living virtuously.
2. What is Eudaimonia and how is it different from modern “happiness”?
Eudaimonia is often translated as “happiness” or “flourishing.” Unlike the modern concept of happiness, which is often tied to pleasure or a state of mind, eudaimonia for Aristotle is a state of being that is achieved by living a virtuous life in accordance with reason. It is the highest human good, chosen for its own sake.
3. What is the “Doctrine of the Mean”?
The Doctrine of the Mean is Aristotle’s principle that moral virtue is the middle path between two extremes, or vices: one of excess and one of deficiency. For example, courage is the mean between the vice of cowardice (deficiency) and the vice of rashness (excess). It’s not a simple mathematical average, but a relative mean that depends on the individual and the situation.
4. How are virtues acquired according to Aristotle?
Aristotle argues that moral virtues are not innate but are acquired through habit and practice. As he famously states, “we become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts.” This emphasizes that virtue is a matter of character development through consistent action.
5. What is the difference between moral and intellectual virtues?
Moral virtues (like courage, temperance, and justice) are character traits that are developed through habit. Intellectual virtues (like practical wisdom and philosophical wisdom) are developed through teaching and experience. Aristotle believed both were essential for a truly flourishing life.
6. Why did Aristotle dedicate two full books to friendship?
Aristotle believed that friendship (philia) is a crucial component of a happy life. He argued that “no one would choose to live without friends, even if he had all other goods.” He distinguishes between three types of friendship—of utility, of pleasure, and of virtue—with the last being the highest form.
7. What role does “practical wisdom” (phronesis) play?
Practical wisdom (phronesis) is the intellectual virtue that allows a person to reason well about what is good for them and to determine the right course of action in specific situations. It is the key intellectual virtue that guides moral action, helping a person to find the “Golden Mean” in practice.
8. What is Aristotle’s view on pleasure?
Aristotle does not believe that all pleasure is bad. He argues that pleasure is a natural part of human life and that the right kind of pleasure is a necessary component of a good life. He states that the virtuous person will find pleasure in virtuous activities, and these pleasures are good.
9. Why is the contemplative life considered the highest form of happiness?
In the final book of The Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle concludes that the contemplative life (a life dedicated to study and intellectual activity) is the highest form of happiness. He argues this because reason is the highest and most divine part of our nature, and a life dedicated to its exercise is a life lived in accordance with our truest self.
10. How does The Nicomachean Ethics connect ethics and politics?
Aristotle believed that ethics and politics are inseparable. He argues that the good life for an individual is deeply intertwined with the good of the community. The book ends by stating that the purpose of the state is to create good citizens by fostering the right habits and providing the necessary education for them to live virtuous lives.
