The Nicomachean Ethics - by Aristotle (Paperback)

About the Book

"What does it mean to be a good person? Aristotle's famous series of lectures on ethical topics ranges over fundamental questions about good and bad character; pleasure and self-control; moral wisdom and the foundations of right and wrong; friendship and love in all their forms - all set against a rich and humane conception of what makes for a flourishing life. Adam Beresford's freshly researched translation presents many of Aristotle's key terms and idioms in standard English for the first time, and faithfully preserves the unvarnished style of the original."-- Back cover.

Book Synopsis

A new translation of one of the most important philosophical works of all time

A Penguin Classic

Aristotle's classic treatise is based on his famous doctrine of the golden mean, which advocates taking the middle course between excess and deficiency. Reacting against Plato's absolutism, Aristotle insisted that there are no definitive moral standards and that ethical philosophy must be based on human nature and experience.

Treating such topics as moral worth, intellectual virtue, pleasure, friendship, and happiness, The Nicomachean Ethics asks above all: What is the good life, and how can we live it?

About the Author

Aristotle (384-322 BC) was born in the Macedonian city of Stagira. He studied in Plato's Academy in Athens and later became tutor to Alexander the Great before establishing his own school in Athens, called the Lyceum. His writings, which were of extraordinary range, profoundly affected the whole course of ancient, medieval, and modern philosophy. Many of them have survived, including The Nicomachean Ethics, Politics, and Poetics, among others.

Adam Beresford (translator) is an associate professor of philosophy at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. He previously translated Plato's Protagoras and Meno for Penguin Classics.