Aristotle Nicomachean Ethics Notes
Book 1:
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
X.
XI.
XII.
XIII.
Every action is thought to aim at some good. As for consequences, some are activities,
and others are not. “Where there are ends apart from the actions, it is the nature of the
products to be better than the activities.” “In all of these the ends of the master arts are
to be preferred to all the subordinate ends; for it is for the sake of the former that the
latter are pursued. It makes no difference whether the activities themselves are the ends
of the actions, or something else apart from the activities”
If there is an end to what we do, which we desire and not just because of something
else, that must be the chief good. Better to achieve an end for a country than a man.
…
The highest good is happiness, but that is too varied and hard to identify.
Three prominent types of life: the pleasurable, the political, and the contemplative. The
end of political life is honor. Men seek honor to be assured they are good. Virtue is
better? Except with virtue you can be inactive, and you can’t call just a virtuous life
happy. Money is not an end cause you just use it to get other stuff.
…
If there is an end to all we do then that is the good achieved by action. Not all ends are
final ends but the chief good is something final. The final good is thought to be
self-sufficient and we do a lot of things to make us happy. Happiness is final and
self-sufficient as well as the end of an action. Human good is activity of soul in
accordance with virtue.
Goods are divided into three classes: some are external some are soul. The man who
doesn’t enjoy noble actions isn’t good. Happiness needs prosperity.
Happiness is better as the result of action. Stuff like horses isn’t really happy.
However happiness is constantly changing for a given person so how do we measure
that? If activities give life character, no happy man can become miserable because he’ll
make the best of his circumstances. Happiness is an end, yet the future is obscure.
Friends and other people’s actions can influence our happiness.
Happiness is prized
Happiness is an activity of the soul in accordance with perfect virtue. There is a part of
people’s soul that is opposed to the rational. The irrational element is swayed by the
rational principle. Some virtues are intellectual and some are moral.
Aristotle Nicomachean Ethics Notes
Book 2:
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
2 kinds of virtue. Intellectual virtue comes from teaching, moral virtue comes from habit.
No moral virtues arise in us by nature. We first acquire the potential and then do stuff. It
is by the same causes every virtue is produced and destroyed. By doing things we
become just or unjust. States of character arise out of like activities.
It is the nature of things to be destroyed by extremes (defect and excess)
Moral excellence is concerned with pleasures and pains bc virtues are concerned with
actions and passions, which go hand in hand with pleasure and pain. The good is better
when it is harder.
We must become just through just acts and temperate through temperate acts. The
agent must have stuff when he does the acts; he must have knowledge, he must choose
the acts for their own sakes, and his action must proceed from a firm character.
Things found in the soul are of three kinds: passions(feelings), faculties, and states of
character. We are not judged on our passions but our virtues and vices. We feel without
choice, but virtues and vices involve choice. Virtues are states of character.
The virtue of a man is the state of character that makes a man good and lets him do his
work well. Virtue must aim at the intermediate. Men are good in one way but bad in
many. Virtue is a mean between two vices.
Book 3?:
V. Pleasures differ. One more pleasant activity drives out the other.
VI. Happiness does not lie in amusement. Relaxation is not an end because it is done for the
sake of activity. .
VII.
If happiness is activity in accordance with virtue, it’s prolly in accordance with the highest
virtue. The life according to reason is best bc it’s man or whatever idk mans said so.
VIII.
Moral virtues belong to our composite nature. Is it the will or deed more essential to
virtue? The activity of god is contemplation. U still need other shit to live but not that
much shit. Philosophers r the best huh Aristotle u entitled pos. Mans rlly tryna convince
himself he should be happy even tho he gets no bitches.
IX.
Just a bigass segway into politics. What laws are right? What’s the best system etc.