Excerpt from Aristotle's Definition of the Human Good But surely the process cannot continue to infinity: there must be sonic ultimate activity directed to a final good. There must be a good which is self-sufficing, from which 'all subordinate or departmental goods draw their goodness. In all matters-of'war the order proceeds in the end from the general, and it is the general whom the execution of the order must satisfy: victory or defeat of the enemy is the prime consideration to which all other considerations are subordinate. We want now to find for the whole range of human life a central authority like that of the general, and a supreme governing consideration like the defeat of the enemy. As the lesser considerations are called goods, so the final consideration may be called the good (or more accurately the human good', for there are things more precious than man in the universe). To discover the nature of this good is the object of this enquiry. To the enquiry which has for object the discovery of this end or good with a view to its realization, A. (He also gives another reason. What is good, he says, realized for an individual, must be better realized for a community. But this reason is not easily reconciled with the foregoing). The introduction of this term at the beginning of the Ethics shows that the two works of A. which bear respectively the name Politics and Ethics were both regarded by him as possessing a common aim, that of describing the end to which all human * activities arc directed, that of analysing the human good and of discussing the means of its realization. The Ethics sets out the form of the good life as it may be realized by the best men in a good state, while the Politics exhibits the constitutive principles of the good state itself. (T1 at inference however may be false). About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

In this book, J.L. Stocks examines Aristotle's views on what is meant by the human good and how it can be achieved. This is a must-read for anyone interested in philosophy or ethics. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Excerpt from Aristotle's Definition of the Human Good A. Does not deny the necessity to man of the first and second of these activities; but he claims that it is plain that the peculiar and distinctive business of man in the world cannot lie in the prosecution of either; obviously it must lie rather in the use and development of the principle which is peculiar to man, i.e., of the reason. And if this is man's business, his good and his happiness will lie in the proper performance of it. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

"Reason and Human Good in Aristotle opens up issues of interpretation which are as alive today as when it originally appeared. After almost two decades of extraordinary influence, this succinct book remains a 'must' for any serious bibliography of Aristotle's Ethics." -- Sarah Broadie, Princeton University

Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, which equates the ultimate end of human life with happiness (eudaimonia), is thought by many readers to argue that this highest goal consists in the largest possible aggregate of intrinsic goods. Richard Kraut proposes instead that Aristotle identifies happiness with only one type of good: excellent activity of the rational soul. In defense of this reading, Kraut discusses Aristotle's attempt to organize all human goods into a single structure, so that each subordinate end is desirable for the sake of some higher goal. This book also emphasizes the philosopher's hierarchy of natural kinds, in which every type of creature achieves its good by imitating divine life. As Kraut argues, Aristotle's belief that thinking is the sole activity of the gods leads him to an intellectualist conception of the ethical virtues. Aristotle values these traits because, by subordinating emotion to reason, they enhance our ability to lead a life devoted to philosophy or politics.

"Reason and Human Good in Aristotle opens up issues of interpretation which are as alive today as when it originally appeared. After almost two decades of extraordinary influence, this succinct book remains a 'must' for any serious bibliography of Aristotle's Ethics." -- Sarah Broadie, Princeton University

In his «Nicomachean Ethics», Aristotle says that eudaimonia («happiness») is the end of human nature. In the Greek thinker's moral theory and theory of human nature, that good has a definite content, and is a universal and even obligatory moral good -- the «true good» of man. Dr. Asselin argues that the connection that Aristotle sees between human nature and eudaimonia illuminates both human nature and the supreme moral good. To the same extent, Aristotle is a perennial source for theorizing about human nature, human moral qualities, and the best life for man.