Nicomachean Ethics
In Book I of Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle states “happiness is an activity of the soul in accordance with complete excellence” (1102a5). This essay will attempt to give a more layman meaning of this quote, then give Aristotle’s proof of this from Book I of Nicomachean Ethics. To give an easier account of what Aristotle means, we break down the quote into three sections; activity of the soul and complete excellence. Activity of the soul can be translated into the function of man, as Aristotle states “the function of man is an activity of soul in accordance with, or not without, rational principal” (1098a7). Excellence is to do something well but, “for that which is the prize and end of excellence seems to be the best thing and something godlike and blessed” (1099b16). So the quote can now be translated to mean “happiness is the function of man, in accordance with being blessed”. Now one might try to argue that people do unpleasant things all the time, such as going to work at a hard job. However, this would just be an indication that the best happiness lies in using the money from work to get to some other end. And in talking about ends, Aristotle notes that most actions and goods are done or produced to achieve and end, but those ends are only to support another larger end. “as bridle-making, and the other arts concerned with the equipment of horses falls under the art of riding, and this and every military action under strategy … in all these the ends of the master arts are to be preferred to all the subordinate ends; for it is the sake of the former that the latter are pursued.” (1094a10).