The Nicomachean Ethics
by Aristotle
Chances are, if you’ve made it to The Nicomachean Ethics, you’ve already read Plato’s Republic and Aristotle’s Politics. If you haven’t, it’s not a necessity, but you’ll probably enjoy them, especially if you’re already used to this type of writing.
While in Politics, Aristotle discusses his theories about how to be a useful member of a productive society, The Nicomachean Ethics shifts Aristotle’s focus from the individual’s duty to society to the individual’s duty to himself. If you’ve ever spent an hour or two (or more) contemplating your pursuit of happiness, what it truly means to be happy—or, what good is it to be happy, anyway?—and why it’s your driving force to seek such happiness, you’ll probably really like this book. In short, this is the book for the man who has all the answers but still isn’t happy. In reading it, you can meet a kindred spirit from very long ago, and you can take comfort that you’re not the only one in the world (or this century) who ponders happiness on a daily basis.
While in Politics, Aristotle discusses his theories about how to be a useful member of a productive society, The Nicomachean Ethics shifts Aristotle’s focus from the individual’s duty to society to the individual’s duty to himself. If you’ve ever spent an hour or two (or more) contemplating your pursuit of happiness, what it truly means to be happy—or, what good is it to be happy, anyway?—and why it’s your driving force to seek such happiness, you’ll probably really like this book. In short, this is the book for the man who has all the answers but still isn’t happy. In reading it, you can meet a kindred spirit from very long ago, and you can take comfort that you’re not the only one in the world (or this century) who ponders happiness on a daily basis.