Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics

Understanding Aristotles Nicomechean Text

Anyone out there with tips or skills on how I can understand better the Nicomechean text.

Asked by
Last updated by Roskolnikov
Answers 1
Add Yours

Nicomechean Ethics is a tough read for non-philosophers and philosophers alike, but it is easier to understand once we have a basic grasp on Aristotle's account of teleology. For Aristotle, it is impossible to separate things like ethical behavior and contemplation from the ultimate end (telos) of reality. Everything, human beings, animals, inanimate objects, etc. are moving towards this mysterious end. This is why, for Aristotle, virtues have to be cultivated. They are intelligible only insofar as they are a moving process with a telos.