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Translation of Aristotle's classic philosophy on happiness.
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A vigorous polemicist as well as a rational philosopher, Aristotle (384-322 BC) has the task in his ethics of demonstrating how men become good and why happiness can, and should, be our goal. The success of Aristotle's endeavour may be measured by the enormous impact of his ethics on western moral philosophy through the centuries. Composed as mere lecture notes, it possesses a boldness and represents an exacting, exciting challenge to the reader. By converting ethics from a theoretical to a practical science, and by introducing psychology into his study of behaviour, Aristotle both widens the field of moral philosophy and simultaneously makes it more accessible to anyone who seeks an understanding of human nature.
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Every art and every investigation, and similarly every action and pursuit,1 is considered to aim at some good. Lesen Sie die erste Seite
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Every art and every investigation, and similarly every action and pursuit,1 is considered to aim at some good. Lesen Sie die erste Seite
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Format:Taschenbuch
Aristotle was a philosopher in search of the chief good for human beings. This chief good is eudaimonia, which is often translated as 'happiness' (but can also be translated as 'thriving' or 'flourishing'). Aristotle sees pleasure, honour and virtue as significant 'wants' for people, and then argues that virtue is the most important of these.
In the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle makes the claim that happiness is something which is both precious and final. This seems to be so because it is a first principle or ultimate starting point. For, it is for the sake of happiness that we do everything else, and we regard the cause of all good things to be precious and divine. Moreover, since happiness is an activity of the soul in accordance with complete and perfect virtue, it is necessary to consider virtue, as this will be the best way of studying happiness.
How many of us today speak of happiness and virtue in the same breath? Aristotle's work in the Nicomachean Ethics is considered one of his greatest achievements, and by extension, one of the greatest pieces of philosophy from the ancient world. When the framers of the American Declaration of Independence were thinking of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, there is little doubt they had an acquaintance with Aristotle's work connecting happiness, virtue, and ethics together.
When one thinks of ethical ideas such as an avoidance of extremes, of taking the tolerant or middle ground, or of taking all things in moderation, one is tapping into Aristotle's ideas. It is in the Nicomachean Ethics that Aristotle proposes the Doctrine of the Mean - he states that virtue is a 'mean state', that is, it aims for the mean or middle ground. However, Aristotle is often misquoted and misinterpreted here, for he very quickly in the text disallows the idea of the mean to be applied in all cases. There are things, actions and emotions, that do not allow the mean state. Thus, Aristotle tends to view virtue as a relative state, making the analogy with food - for some, two pounds of meat might be too much food, but for others, it might be too little. The mean exists between the state of deficiency, too little, and excessiveness, too much.
Aristotle proposes many different examples of virtues and vices, together with their mean states. With regard to money, being stingy and being illiberal with generosity are the extremes, the one deficient and the other excessive. The mean state here would be liberality and generosity, a willingness to buy and to give, but not to extremes. Anger, too, is highlighted as having a deficient state (too much passivity), an excessive state (too much passion) and a mean state (a gentleness but firmness with regard to emotions).
Aristotle states that one of the difficulties with leading a virtuous life is that it takes a person of science to find the mean between the extremes (or, in some cases, Aristotle uses the image of a circle, the scientist finding the centre). Many of us, being imperfect humans, err on one side or the other, choosing in Aristotle's words, the lesser of two evils. Aristotle's wording here, that a scientist is the only one fully capable of virtue, has a different meaning for scientist - this is a pre-modern, pre-Enlightenment view; for Aristotle, the person of science is one who is capable of observation and calculation, and this can take many different forms.
Aristotle uses different kinds of argumentation in the Nicomachean Ethics. He uses a dialectical method, as well as a functional method. In the dialectical method, there are opposing ideas held in tension, whose interactions against each other yield a result - this is often how the mean between extremes is derived. However, there are other times that Aristotle seems to prefer a more direct, functional approach. Both of these methods lead to the same understanding for Aristotle's sense of the rational - that humanity's highest or final good is happiness.
There is a discussion of the human soul (for this is where virtue and happiness reside). Aristotle argues that virtue is not a natural state; we are not born with nor do we acquire through any natural processes virtue, but rather through 'habitation', an embedding process or enculturation that makes these a part of our soul. However, it is not sufficient for Aristotle's virtue that one merely function as a virtuous person or that virtuous things be done. This is not a skill, but rather an art, and to be virtuous, one must live virtuously and act virtuously with intention as well as form.
Of course, one of the implications here is that virtue is a quantifiable thing, that periodically resurfaces in later philosophies. How do we calculate virtue?
This is a difficult question, and not one that Aristotle answers in any definitive way. However, more important than this is the key difference that Aristotle displayed setting himself apart from his tutor Plato; rather than seeing the possession of 'the good' or 'virtue' as the highest ideal, Aristotle is concerned with the practical aspects, the ethics of this. Based on Aristotle's lectures in Athens in the fourth century BCE, this remains one of the most important works on ethical and moral philosophy in history.
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Early work of social science
8. November 2006
Format:Taschenbuch
Aristotle's Ethics by Penguin classics looks deceptively like a paperback novel. It is nothing of the kind, being a densely packed philosophical treatise on the nature of humankind and our relationships with others.
The book, a translation of the Nichomachean Ethics and not Aristotle's earlier Eudemian Ethics, may seem slightly mistitled to a modern audience. It deals primarily with analysis of character and what good character is and is not. Discussion of ethical issues and moral judgements of right and wrong are largely missing. The reader is expected to develop their behaviour towards others by perfecting their own character. For example, courage in its various forms is discussed but the practical application of courage is not. Much of Aristotle's thesis appears obvious to our modern minds but it is important to remember that Aristotle was systemetizing his description of human nature in an effort to understand it. Unfortunately this makes for a rather dry read.
The book also contains a lengthy introduction by Jonathan Barnes. While it is acessible to the general audience, a background in philosophy would be useful to really understand the issues he addresses. There is also a preface by Hugh Tredennick who explains why this new translation is needed - primarily for readability. Between J.A.K. Thompson (the translator), Barnes and Treddennick we appear to have the crème de la crème of Cambridge and Oxford Aristotaleans involved in this little book. The introduction has a substantial bibliography in its own right and the book includes 10 brief appendices which provide background on the philosophical ideas in the text. These are critical to understanding the book if you aren't widely read in the early Greek philosophers. A glossary of Greek words and an index of names proceeds a general index. Footnotes are brief and unobtrusive but usually helpful.
For couch philosophers and serious students looking for an inexpensive edition of the Nichomachean ethics, this is definitely the version for you. It has surprisingly good scholarly resources for such a slim volume. If, however, you had heard that Aristotle was Alexander the Great's tutor and are trying to conquer the business world this probably won't give you many pointers.
The book, a translation of the Nichomachean Ethics and not Aristotle's earlier Eudemian Ethics, may seem slightly mistitled to a modern audience. It deals primarily with analysis of character and what good character is and is not. Discussion of ethical issues and moral judgements of right and wrong are largely missing. The reader is expected to develop their behaviour towards others by perfecting their own character. For example, courage in its various forms is discussed but the practical application of courage is not. Much of Aristotle's thesis appears obvious to our modern minds but it is important to remember that Aristotle was systemetizing his description of human nature in an effort to understand it. Unfortunately this makes for a rather dry read.
The book also contains a lengthy introduction by Jonathan Barnes. While it is acessible to the general audience, a background in philosophy would be useful to really understand the issues he addresses. There is also a preface by Hugh Tredennick who explains why this new translation is needed - primarily for readability. Between J.A.K. Thompson (the translator), Barnes and Treddennick we appear to have the crème de la crème of Cambridge and Oxford Aristotaleans involved in this little book. The introduction has a substantial bibliography in its own right and the book includes 10 brief appendices which provide background on the philosophical ideas in the text. These are critical to understanding the book if you aren't widely read in the early Greek philosophers. A glossary of Greek words and an index of names proceeds a general index. Footnotes are brief and unobtrusive but usually helpful.
For couch philosophers and serious students looking for an inexpensive edition of the Nichomachean ethics, this is definitely the version for you. It has surprisingly good scholarly resources for such a slim volume. If, however, you had heard that Aristotle was Alexander the Great's tutor and are trying to conquer the business world this probably won't give you many pointers.
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Aristotle's Ethics: The Art of Living
19. Juni 2000
Format:Gebundene Ausgabe
I bought this book almost accidentaly, for having nothing better to do one night on a business trip to Pretoria. Being Greek, I have a love-hate relationship with the Ancients: brought up to marvel at their genius, but feeling alienated by an education system that force-fed us with sterile, badly translated texts, which always seemed irrelevant to our lifes. This book opened my eyes to the true meaning of "Philosophy". The translation is in modern English, free from the back-to-front syntax of the Ancient Greek text (which makes it impossible to understand the meaning of a sentence until you reach the end of it!).
The subject matter is "Ethics". However, a modern author may have called it something more akin to "The Meaning of Life" or "The Art of Living". Aristotle proceeds with simple and clear logic, to reveal the objective of human struggle in this life. He demonstrates a deep understanding of the Human Being, what we are and what we are not, what makes us act in one way or another and what makes us feel joy or distress. He addresses anxienties of the modern human, such as the question of nature or nurture, the moral action versus the practical, violence versus non-violence. His recommendations for living this life in a manner that is meaningfull and rewarding are profound yet simple. I found myself shaking my head in recognition at every example or conclusion. I felt a fresh wind in my chest, as if it was I who was discovering this knowledge, not some 2.5 thousand year old man.
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to discover more about how to live this life, but feels foreign to current eastern-derived, philosophical/religious fashions which, even when illuminating, can appear alien to the western way of thinking.
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A Helpful Edition of a Classic Work
3. Januar 2008
Format:Taschenbuch|Von Amazon bestätigter Kauf
There are a couple of features about this particular edition of Aristotle's "Ethics" (to be clear, I am referring to the 2004 edition published by Penguin Classics) that I think are praiseworthy and worthy of mention. As some of the other reviewers of this edition have pointed out, the introduction by Jonathan Barnes is most helpful in providing the reader with a sturdy foundation on which to stand while reading this work. At roughly 30 pages long, Barnes' introduction is the perfect length. It provides a great foundation without becoming a full exposition itself. Another thing I like about this book is the editing, which utilizes a number of helpful tools to enhance readability. In particular, the editor (Hugh Tredennick) uses plenty of footnotes and inserts into the text itself (demarcated by angled brackets). In a couple of instances Tredennick even changes the order in which the text has traditionally been found; this he does because the logic of Aristotle's argument flows better if slightly re-ordered. In sum, then, the Penguin Classics edition of Aristotle's "Ethics" is very approachable and I highly recommend it for those who are just getting introduced to Aristotle's works.
Aside from reviewing the specific edition here, I would also like to make a couple of critical remarks about the text itself. This is a difficult thing to do with classics such as this because the historical influence and importance of the text renders such remarks not a little superfluous. Nevertheless, a few limited thoughts might be in order.
First, one other reviewer has commented on the relation of the "Ethics" to Christianity. I, too, am a Christian, and I think it is important to offer reviews explicitly informed by my faith. Nevertheless, I think the other Christian reviewer is slightly mistaken. To be sure, he is right when he says that Aristotle, though not a Christian, got a lot right and some things wrong. For we should not expect anyone, established historical icon or no, to be right all the time (except Scripture, of course). However, the one thing I think the other reviewer is mistaken about is that, although Aristotle suggests that the purpose of life is happiness, I don't think this is per se contrary to Christian teaching. The other reviewer is right to say that the purpose of life, from a Christian point of view, is to glorify God. However, is Aristotle's notion of happiness contrary to this purpose? I think that it is not, or at least that it is not clearly contrary to it. Happiness for Aristotle is found in it purest human form in those whose life is characterized by contemplation. This is so because contemplation, among all human activities, is the activity that most approximates the divine. Further, it is contemplation in accordance with virtue that makes a man happy. And further yet, contemplation, according to Aristotle, should lead us to act; that is to live a virtuous life. Thus, I think Aristotle's message is roughly translatable to the Christian message, which is something like: a man is most happy when his life is characterized by contemplation of the things of God, which leads to acting in accordance with God's commands (i.e., glorifying God). But enough about Aristotle in relation to Christianity...
I would like to end this review with two recommendations. First, if you're looking for secondary reading that will illuminate Aristotle's "Ethics", I would recommend The Blackwell Guide to Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics (Blackwell Guides to Great Works), edited by Richard Kraut. That book is a collection of essays exclusively concerning Aristotle's "Ethics", and is very useful for deeper understanding. Second, a lighter and yet broader (topically) read: On the Unseriousness of Human Affairs: Teaching, Writing, Playing, Believing, Lecturing, Philosophizing, Singing, Dancing by James Schall. If you read Schall's book before the "Ethics", I think your motivation to read the "Ethics" will be enhanced. If you read Schall's book after you read the "Ethics", I think you will better see how Aristotle's work has influenced other important writers throughout the ages.
In any event, happy reading!
Aside from reviewing the specific edition here, I would also like to make a couple of critical remarks about the text itself. This is a difficult thing to do with classics such as this because the historical influence and importance of the text renders such remarks not a little superfluous. Nevertheless, a few limited thoughts might be in order.
First, one other reviewer has commented on the relation of the "Ethics" to Christianity. I, too, am a Christian, and I think it is important to offer reviews explicitly informed by my faith. Nevertheless, I think the other Christian reviewer is slightly mistaken. To be sure, he is right when he says that Aristotle, though not a Christian, got a lot right and some things wrong. For we should not expect anyone, established historical icon or no, to be right all the time (except Scripture, of course). However, the one thing I think the other reviewer is mistaken about is that, although Aristotle suggests that the purpose of life is happiness, I don't think this is per se contrary to Christian teaching. The other reviewer is right to say that the purpose of life, from a Christian point of view, is to glorify God. However, is Aristotle's notion of happiness contrary to this purpose? I think that it is not, or at least that it is not clearly contrary to it. Happiness for Aristotle is found in it purest human form in those whose life is characterized by contemplation. This is so because contemplation, among all human activities, is the activity that most approximates the divine. Further, it is contemplation in accordance with virtue that makes a man happy. And further yet, contemplation, according to Aristotle, should lead us to act; that is to live a virtuous life. Thus, I think Aristotle's message is roughly translatable to the Christian message, which is something like: a man is most happy when his life is characterized by contemplation of the things of God, which leads to acting in accordance with God's commands (i.e., glorifying God). But enough about Aristotle in relation to Christianity...
I would like to end this review with two recommendations. First, if you're looking for secondary reading that will illuminate Aristotle's "Ethics", I would recommend The Blackwell Guide to Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics (Blackwell Guides to Great Works), edited by Richard Kraut. That book is a collection of essays exclusively concerning Aristotle's "Ethics", and is very useful for deeper understanding. Second, a lighter and yet broader (topically) read: On the Unseriousness of Human Affairs: Teaching, Writing, Playing, Believing, Lecturing, Philosophizing, Singing, Dancing by James Schall. If you read Schall's book before the "Ethics", I think your motivation to read the "Ethics" will be enhanced. If you read Schall's book after you read the "Ethics", I think you will better see how Aristotle's work has influenced other important writers throughout the ages.
In any event, happy reading!
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