'Happiness, then, is the best, noblest, and most
pleasant thing in the world.' In the Nicomachean Ethics
Aristotle's guiding question is: what is the best thing
for a human being? His answer is happiness, but he
means, not something we feel, but rather a specially
good kind of life. Happiness is made up of activities in
which we use the best human capacities, both ones that
contribute to our flourishing as members of a community,
and ones that allow us to engage in god-like
contemplation. Contemporary ethical writings on the role
and importance of the moral virtues such as courage and
justice have drawn inspiration from this work, which
also contains important discussions on responsibility
for actions, on the nature of practical reasoning, and
on friendship and its role in the best life. This new
edition retains and lightly revises David Ross's justly
admired translation. It also includes a valuable
introduction to this seminal work, and notes designed to
elucidate Aristotle's arguments. ABOUT THE SERIES: For
over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made
available the widest range of literature from around the
globe.Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's
commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate
text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including
expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful
notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for
further study, and much more. |
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