 |
| Plato (left) and Aristotle (right), a detail of The School of Athens, a fresco by Raphael. Aristotle gestures to the earth, representing his belief in knowledge through empirical observation and experience, while holding a copy of his Nicomachean Ethics in his hand, whilst Plato gestures to the heavens, representing his belief in The Forms. |
Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, said to be dedicated to Aristotle's son Nicomachus, is widely regarded as one of the most important works in the history of Western philosophy. Addressing the question of how men should best live, Aristotle's treatise is not a mere philosophical meditation on the subject, but a practical examination that aims to provide a guide for living out its recommendations. The result is a deep inquiry into the nature and means of attaining happiness, which Aristotle defines as consisting not merely of pleasure or an emotional state, but of a virtuous and morally led life. (http://www.amazon.com/Nicomachean-Ethics-Aristotle/dp/1452601631)
I already commented on this in a freewrite. So, I will just cut and paste it here:
Listening to Nicomachean Ethics while making my chai tea this morning. I really like it. The whole thing on prodigality was amazing. Greeks would have understood the story of The Prodigal Son if they had read Aristotle, and Luke was written for the Greeks! (Aristotle lived 300 years before Jesus.) That is amazing and something we don't know unless we read ancient literature. It makes me appreciate and understand the Bible so much better to read these ancients. TRULY!
I listened to the Nadia May narration on Blackstone audio. She does a great job. This is a very easy book to get through. HONEST. I heartily recommend it! I found it much easier and more practical than Poetics.
No comments:
Post a Comment