Source edition
Aristotle. Aristotelis Ethica Eudemia. Eudemi Rhodii Ethica. Susemihl, Franz, editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1884.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This work is an ethical treatise that explores the nature of "happiness" (eudaimonia), the ultimate goal of human life, and the "virtues" (aretai) necessary to achieve it. In the opening books, the author presents three prominent lifestyles (philosophical, political, and voluptuous) and criticizes the Platonic idea of a transcendent "Form of the Good," arguing instead for a practical good that humans can actually attain. Happiness is subsequently defined as the activity of a complete life in accordance with complete virtue, which is identified as a state of character that aims at the "mean" between excess and deficiency. The text then analyzes the voluntary nature of actions and the importance of rational "choice" (proairesis), followed by a detailed examination of specific moral virtues such as courage and temperance. In the latter part, the work closely investigates various forms of "friendship" (philia), which is closely tied to justice and community, demonstrating that living with others is indispensable for happiness even for a self-sufficient person. Finally, it culminates in the concept of "nobility and goodness" (kalokagathia) that integrates all virtues, concluding that the ultimate standard for our choices and actions is the contemplation of God.
Contents
53 chunks
Cited by book.section
- §1.1-1.2
- §1.3-1.4
- §1.5#1
- §1.5#2
- §1.6-1.7
- §1.8#1
- §1.8#2
- §2.1#1
- §2.1#2
- §2.2
- §2.3
- §2.4-2.5
- §2.6
- §2.7
- §2.8#1
- §2.8#2
- §2.9
- §2.10#1
- §2.10#2
- §2.10#3
- §2.11
- §3.1#1
- §3.1#2
- §3.1#3
- §3.2#1
- §3.2#2
- §3.3-3.4
- §3.5#1
- §3.5#2
- §3.6
- §3.7
- §7.1
- §7.2#1
- §7.2#2
- §7.2#3
- §7.2#4
- §7.3-7.4
- §7.5
- §7.6#1
- §7.6#2
- §7.7
- §7.8-7.9
- §7.10#1
- §7.10#2
- §7.10#3
- §7.11
- §7.12#1
- §7.12#2
- §8.1
- §8.2#1
- §8.2#2
- §8.3#1
- §8.3#2