THE Ethics of Aristotle is one half of a single treatise of which his Politics is the other half. Both deal with one and the same subject. This subject is what Aristotle calls in one place the "philosophy of human affairs;" but more frequently Political or Social Science. In the two works taken together we have their author's whole theory of human conduct or practical activity, that is, of all human activity which is not directed merely to knowledge or truth. The two parts of this treatise are mutually complementary, butin a literary sense each is independent and self-contained. The proem to the Ethics is an introduction to the whole subject, not merely to the first part; the last chapter of the Ethics points forward to the Politics, and sketches for that part of the treatise the order of enquiry to be pursued (an order which in the actual treatise is not adhered to).

Aristotle"s Nicomachean Ethics is one of the world"s great books.Identifying happiness as the goal of life, he rejects pleasure, fame,and wealth as means to it. The summit of human achievement is attainable only through the contemplation of philosophic truth,because this practice exercises the virtue peculiar to the human being, the rational principle.At once a practical guide to everyday life and a groundbreaking exploration of ethical theory, this inexpensive edition of a philosophical landmark will prove an invaluable resource to students and general readers alike.