Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics

This is an engaging and accessible introduction to the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle’s great masterpiece of moral philosophy. Michael Pakaluk offers a thorough and lucid examination of the entire work, uncovering Aristotle\'s motivations and basic views while paying careful attention to his arguments. The chapter on friendship captures Aristotle\'s doctrine with clarity and insight, and Pakaluk gives original and compelling interpretations of the Function Argument, the Doctrine of the Mean, courage and other character virtues, Akrasia, and the two treatments of pleasure. There is also a useful section on how to read an Aristotelian text. This book will be invaluable for all student readers encountering one of the most important and influential works of Western philosophy.

• Full of accessible examples for students new to philosophy • Includes an invaluable section on how to read an Aristotelian text • Pakaluk brings a fresh light to old problems and difficult passages in ‘Nicomachean Ethics’

1. Reading Aristotle’s ‘Ethics’; 2. An outline of the goal of human life; 3. Character-related virtue; 4. Actions as signs of character; 5. Some particular character-related virtues; 6. Justice as a particular character-related virtue; 7. Thinking-related virtue; 8. Arkrasia, or failure of self-control; 9. Friendship; 10. Pleasure; 11. Happiness in outline.