Ethics · Early works to 1800 · Morale ancienne
Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle — Summary, Key Ideas & Quotes
1558329 pages✦ 3-min Big ideas★ 3.8 (24)
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What is Nicomachean Ethics about?
An detailed examination of what the best life might be for human beings. In order to anwer this question, Aristotle finds he also has to examine what virtue itself is and all of the various virtues that might make up the best life.
A glimpse inside
The Highest Good: Eudaimonia
Aristotle argues that all human actions aim at some good, but there must be a highest good that gives meaning to everything else. He calls this 'eudaimonia,' often translated as happiness or flourishing. Unlike fleeting pleasure, eudaimonia is about living in accordance with reason and fulfilling our human potential. It is not a feeling but an activity—a life well-lived, guided by virtue.
Virtue as a Habit
Virtue, for Aristotle, is not innate but cultivated through practice. He distinguishes between intellectual virtues (developed by teaching) and moral virtues (developed by habit). Virtue lies in finding the mean between extremes—courage, for example, is the mean between recklessness and cowardice. By repeatedly choosing the right actions, we shape our character and become virtuous over time.
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Open Library
★ 3.8 / 5
24 ratings
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Get smart in 3 min
6 key ideas, distilled
- 1The Highest Good: Eudaimonia
- 2Virtue as a Habit
- 3The Doctrine of the Mean
- 4Practical Wisdom (Phronesis)
- 5Friendship and the Good Life
Popular quotes from Nicomachean Ethics
“Happiness depends upon ourselves.”
“Virtue, then, is a state of character concerned with choice, lying in a mean.”
“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”
“Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.”
“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.”
Frequently asked
An detailed examination of what the best life might be for human beings. In order to anwer this question, Aristotle finds he also has to examine what virtue itself is and all of the various virtues that might make up the best life.