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Aristotle · Great Ethics §1.3.1-1.3.5

The Division of Goods and the Priority of Activity to State

Passage 5 of 71 · Greek

Summary

Goods are divided into those of the soul, the body, and external ones, with those of the soul further divided into prudence, virtue, and pleasure. Additionally, the text shows that ends are twofold—activities (use) and states—and that activity is always superior to state.

§1.3.1μετὰ τοίνυν τοῦτο ἔχει τὰ ἀγαθὰ ἄλλην διαίρεσια.
After this, then, goods have another division.
ἕστι γὰρ τῶν ἀγαθῶν τὰ κὲν ἐν ψυχῇ, οἷον αἱ ἀρεταί, νὰ δὲ ἐν τῷ σώματι, οἷον ὑμίεια κάλλος, τὰ δʼ ἐκώς, πλοῦτος ἀρχὴ τιμὴ εἴ τι ἄλλο τῶν τοιούτων τούτων δὲ τὰ ἐν ψθχ βέλτιστα.
For of goods, some are in the soul, such as the virtues, some in the body, such as health and beauty, and some external, such as wealth, office, honor, and any other such things; and of these, those in the soul are the best.
§1.3.2τὰ δʼ ἐν ψυχ διώρισται ἀγεαθὰ εἰς τρία, εἰς φρόνησιν εἰς ἀρετὴν καὶ ἡδονήν.
And the goods in the soul are divided into three: into prudence, virtue, and pleasure.
ἤδη τοίνυν τὸ μετὰ τοῦτο κα λέγομεν πάντες καὶ δοαεῖ καὶ τέλος τῶν ἀγαθῶν καὶ τλειότατον εἶναι, ἡ εὐδ??,πμόα, καὶ τοῦτο ταὐτό φακεν εἶναι τὸ εὖ πράττειν κκὶ εὖ ζῆν.
Now next is that which we all say and which seems to be both the end of goods and the most complete, namely happiness; and this we say is the same as acting well and living well.
§1.3.3τὸ δὲ τέλος ἐστὶν οὐχ ἀπλοῦν ἀλλὰ διττ??ν·
But the end is not simple but twofold.
ἐνίων μὲν γάρ ἐτι τὸ τέλος αὐτὴ ἡἐνέργεια καὶ ἡ χρῆσς, οἷο νῆς ὄψεως [ἐστιν ἡ ὅρκως]· καὶ ἔστιν γε ἡ χρῆσις αἱρετωτέρα τῆς ἕξεως·
For of some things the end is the activity itself and the use, as of sight [is seeing]; and indeed the use is more desirable than the state.
τέλος γὰρ ἡ χρῆσις· οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἂν βούλοιτο ἔχειν τὴν ἂψιν μὴ μέλλων ὁρᾶν ἀλλὰ μύτιν.
For use is the end; for no one would wish to have sight if he were not going to see but to keep his eyes closed.
§1.3.4ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ἐπʼ ἀκοῆς καὶ τῶν τοιούτων.
And likewise in the case of hearing and such things.
ὧν ἄρα καὶ [ἡ] χρῆσις καὶ ἕξις ἐστίν, ἀεὶ βέλτι??ν καὶ αἱρετώτερον ἡ χρῆσις τῆς ἕξεως·
Therefore, in those things where there is both use and state, the use is always better and more desirable than the state.
ἡ γὰρ χρῆσις καὶ ἡ ἐνέργοια τέλος, ἡ δʼ ἕξις τῆς χρήσεως ἕνεκεν.
For the use and the activity are the end, while the state is for the sake of the use.
§1.3.5— μετὰ τοῦτο τοίνυν τοῦτʼ ἐάν τις σκοπῇ ἐπὶ τῶν ἐπισημῶν πασῶν, ὄψεται οὐκ ἄλλην μὲν οἰκίαν, ἄλλην δὲ σπουδαίαν??ἰκίαν, ἀλλὰ τὴν οἰ καὶ οὗ ποιητικὸς ὁ οἰκοδόκος, ἡ τούτου ἀρετὴ τοῦ αὐτοῦ τούτου εὖ ποιητική.
――If, then, after this, one considers this in the case of all the sciences, one will see that there is not one house and another "excellent house," but just the house; and that of which the builder is the producer, the virtue of this builder is productive of this very same thing in a good way.
ὁμοίως [καὶ] ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων.
Likewise also in all other cases.

Notes

  1. 1184bτὰ δʼ ἐκώς — The word `ἐκώς` in the text is a corruption or scribal error for `ἐκτός` ('external'). Reading it as `ἐκτός` fits the context perfectly, restoring the standard tripartite division of goods: goods of the soul, goods of the body, and external goods.
  2. 1184bμύτιν — The reading `μύτιν` in the text is understood as a corruption of `μύειν` (the infinitive of `μύω`, 'to close the eyes'). It stands in contrast with `μὴ μέλλων ὁρᾶν` ('not intending to see'), completing the parallel infinitive construction introduced by `μέλλων` ('intending to close [the eyes]').
  3. 1184bοὗ ποιητικὸς ὁ οἰκοδόμος — The relative pronoun `οὗ` (neuter genitive) refers back to the implied product or `τὴν οἰκίαν` (the house). It functions as the genitive object of `ποιητικός` ('productive of'), indicating that the object of which the builder is the producer is identical to the object of which the builder's virtue is productive (`τοῦ αὐτοῦ τούτου`).

Cite this passage

Aristotle, Great Ethics §1.3.1-1.3.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0086.tlg022.humanitext-grc1:1.3.1-1.3.5

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