The Ethics of Aristotle: The Nicomachean Ethics (Penguin Classics) [Paperback]

Aristotle (Author)

Book Description

Series: Penguin Classics | Publication Date: June 30, 1955

A vigorous polemicist as well as a rational philosopher, Aristotle (384 - 322 BCE) has the task in his ethics of demonstrating how men become good and why happiness can, and should, be our goal. The success of Aristotle's endeavour may be measured by the enormous impact of his ethics on Western moral philosophy through the centuries. Composed as mere lecture notes, it possesses a startling boldness and represents an exacting, exciting challenge to the reader. By converting ethics from a theoretical to a practical science, and by introducing psychology into his study of behaviour, Aristotle both widens the field of moral philosophy and simultaneously makes it more accessible to anyone who seeks an understanding of human nature.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'The book, which is available at an affordable price, will no doubt prove useful for the readership of undergraduate and postgraduate students for which it is primarily intended.' Phronesis --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Language Notes

Text: English, Greek (translation)

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics; Revised edition (June 30, 1955)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140440550
• ISBN-13: 978-0140440553
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #567,768 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Early work of social science, November 7, 2006

By 

Neutiquam Erro (Isles of Llyonnesse) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ethics of Aristotle: The Nicomachean Ethics (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

Aristotle's Ethics by Penguin classics looks deceptively like a paperback novel. It is nothing of the kind, being a densely packed philosophical treatise on the nature of humankind and our relationships with others.

The book, a translation of the Nichomachean Ethics and not Aristotle's earlier Eudemian Ethics, may seem slightly mistitled to a modern audience. It deals primarily with analysis of character and what good character is and is not. Discussion of ethical issues and moral judgements of right and wrong are largely missing. The reader is expected to develop their behaviour towards others by perfecting their own character. For example, courage in its various forms is discussed but the practical application of courage is not. Much of Aristotle's thesis appears obvious to our modern minds but it is important to remember that Aristotle was systemetizing his description of human nature in an effort to understand it. Unfortunately this makes for a rather dry read.

The book also contains a lengthy introduction by Jonathan Barnes. While it is acessible to the general audience, a background in philosophy would be useful to really understand the issues he addresses. There is also a preface by Hugh Tredennick who explains why this new translation is needed - primarily for readability. Between J.A.K. Thompson (the translator), Barnes and Treddennick we appear to have the crème de la crème of Cambridge and Oxford Aristotaleans involved in this little book. The introduction has a substantial bibliography in its own right and the book includes 10 brief appendices which provide background on the philosophical ideas in the text. These are critical to understanding the book if you aren't widely read in the early Greek philosophers. A glossary of Greek words and an index of names proceeds a general index. Footnotes are brief and unobtrusive but usually helpful.

For couch philosophers and serious students looking for an inexpensive edition of the Nichomachean ethics, this is definitely the version for you. It has surprisingly good scholarly resources for such a slim volume. If, however, you had heard that Aristotle was Alexander the Great's tutor and are trying to conquer the business world this probably won't give you many pointers.

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Aristotle's Ethics: The Art of Living, June 19, 2000

By 

Agis Liberakis (United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Aristotle, XIX, Nicomachean Ethics (Loeb Classical Library) (Hardcover)

I bought this book almost accidentaly, for having nothing better to do one night on a business trip to Pretoria. Being Greek, I have a love-hate relationship with the Ancients: brought up to marvel at their genius, but feeling alienated by an education system that force-fed us with sterile, badly translated texts, which always seemed irrelevant to our lifes. This book opened my eyes to the true meaning of "Philosophy". The translation is in modern English, free from the back-to-front syntax of the Ancient Greek text (which makes it impossible to understand the meaning of a sentence until you reach the end of it!).

The subject matter is "Ethics". However, a modern author may have called it something more akin to "The Meaning of Life" or "The Art of Living". Aristotle proceeds with simple and clear logic, to reveal the objective of human struggle in this life. He demonstrates a deep understanding of the Human Being, what we are and what we are not, what makes us act in one way or another and what makes us feel joy or distress. He addresses anxienties of the modern human, such as the question of nature or nurture, the moral action versus the practical, violence versus non-violence. His recommendations for living this life in a manner that is meaningfull and rewarding are profound yet simple. I found myself shaking my head in recognition at every example or conclusion. I felt a fresh wind in my chest, as if it was I who was discovering this knowledge, not some 2.5 thousand year old man.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to discover more about how to live this life, but feels foreign to current eastern-derived, philosophical/religious fashions which, even when illuminating, can appear alien to the western way of thinking.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Helpful Edition of a Classic Work, January 3, 2008

By 

TEK (Lawrence, KS USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Nicomachean Ethics (Penguin Classics) (Mass Market Paperback)

There are a couple of features about this particular edition of Aristotle's "Ethics" (to be clear, I am referring to the 2004 edition published by Penguin Classics) that I think are praiseworthy and worthy of mention. As some of the other reviewers of this edition have pointed out, the introduction by Jonathan Barnes is most helpful in providing the reader with a sturdy foundation on which to stand while reading this work. At roughly 30 pages long, Barnes' introduction is the perfect length. It provides a great foundation without becoming a full exposition itself. Another thing I like about this book is the editing, which utilizes a number of helpful tools to enhance readability. In particular, the editor (Hugh Tredennick) uses plenty of footnotes and inserts into the text itself (demarcated by angled brackets). In a couple of instances Tredennick even changes the order in which the text has traditionally been found; this he does because the logic of Aristotle's argument flows better if slightly re-ordered. In sum, then, the Penguin Classics edition of Aristotle's "Ethics" is very approachable and I highly recommend it for those who are just getting introduced to Aristotle's works.

Aside from reviewing the specific edition here, I would also like to make a couple of critical remarks about the text itself. This is a difficult thing to do with classics such as this because the historical influence and importance of the text renders such remarks not a little superfluous. Nevertheless, a few limited thoughts might be in order.

First, one other reviewer has commented on the relation of the "Ethics" to Christianity. I, too, am a Christian, and I think it is important to offer reviews explicitly informed by my faith. Nevertheless, I think the other Christian reviewer is slightly mistaken. To be sure, he is right when he says that Aristotle, though not a Christian, got a lot right and some things wrong. For we should not expect anyone, established historical icon or no, to be right all the time (except Scripture, of course). However, the one thing I think the other reviewer is mistaken about is that, although Aristotle suggests that the purpose of life is happiness, I don't think this is per se contrary to Christian teaching. The other reviewer is right to say that the purpose of life, from a Christian point of view, is to glorify God. However, is Aristotle's notion of happiness contrary to this purpose? I think that it is not, or at least that it is not clearly contrary to it. Happiness for Aristotle is found in it purest human form in those whose life is characterized by contemplation. This is so because contemplation, among all human activities, is the activity that most approximates the divine. Further, it is contemplation in accordance with virtue that makes a man happy. And further yet, contemplation, according to Aristotle, should lead us to act; that is to live a virtuous life. Thus, I think Aristotle's message is roughly translatable to the Christian message, which is something like: a man is most happy when his life is characterized by contemplation of the things of God, which leads to acting in accordance with God's commands (i.e., glorifying God). But enough about Aristotle in relation to Christianity...

I would like to end this review with two recommendations. First, if you're looking for secondary reading that will illuminate Aristotle's "Ethics", I would recommend The Blackwell Guide to Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics (Blackwell Guides to Great Works), edited by Richard Kraut. That book is a collection of essays exclusively concerning Aristotle's "Ethics", and is very useful for deeper understanding. Second, a lighter and yet broader (topically) read: On the Unseriousness of Human Affairs: Teaching, Writing, Playing, Believing, Lecturing, Philosophizing, Singing, Dancing by James Schall. If you read Schall's book before the "Ethics", I think your motivation to read the "Ethics" will be enhanced. If you read Schall's book after you read the "Ethics", I think you will better see how Aristotle's work has influenced other important writers throughout the ages.

In any event, happy reading!