Even more so than his earlier work the Eudemian Ethics, the Nicomachean Ethics is not only one of Aristotle’s central works but is one of the most widely influential philosophical works of all time. Breaking from the ideal approach of his teacher Plato, Aristotle offers a practical guide to goodness and happiness by looking at several types of virtues, ultimately arguing that the greatest good comes from pursuing a mean, without excess or deficiency.
Since its creation sometime in the 4th century BCE, the Nicomachean Ethics has influenced cultures around the globe. Romans who followed the Greeks found value in Aristotle’s emphasis on duty and the larger good, Muslim scholars from the...
