Nicomachean Ethics, book 1
Happiness is the ultimate good
Each series of the Practical Wisdom podcast I produce presents a deep dive into a single text from the Greco-Roman wisdom tradition. From time to time, as in the case of this post, it may helpful to pause and collect together all the entries referring to the same piece of classical writing, so that those interested can go back to them at their leisure, listen to the episodes in sequence, and gain a broader appreciation of what they are about.
Today I submit to you a collection of links to my commentaries on the first book of one of the most classic of the classics: Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics. (Brace yourself, because there are eleven more books to go, if I manage to finish this project, eventually…)
The Nicomachean Ethics explores how humans can achieve eudaimonia (happiness or flourishing) through developing virtuous character. The key ideas include that: happiness is the highest good and comes from living virtuously; virtues are character traits found at the “golden mean” between excess and deficiency; practical wisdom helps us determine the right action in specific situations; moral development requires practice and habituation; and the best life includes friendship and contemplation.
Essentially, it’s a practical guide to living well by developing excellence of character through consistent virtuous action rather than following rigid rules.
The translation I used is by Robert C. Bartlett And Susan D. Collins, published by the University of Chicago Press in 2011. Here are the links to the pertinent episodes:
I’ve had a hard time reading Aristotle. Look forward to this . Hopefully this will help.
Good morning, the links do not appear to be working. This is on my iPad and also on my phone. Thanks