ARISTOTLE'S ESSAY ON THE NATURE OF ETHICS

Action, art, inquiry and pursuit aim at some good, so Aristotle begins the essay as long as the ends are meaningful and, in a sense, greater than the individual parts. "Where there are ends apart from the actions, it is the nature of the products to be better than the activities" (p. 339). In other words, all these activities have to lead somewhere that is greater, perhaps more universal, than the individual actions. A specific action in medicine, or science, for instance is "good" by this definition, if that action leads to, say a cure for cancer, or an alleviation of pain, or a longer life. The action pf politics can lead to a greater good if the end result is the happiness and stability of the citizens of that state.

Aristotle seems to worry concerning politics that "in view of the fact that all knowledge and every purpose aims at some good, what it is that we say political science aims atà" (p.340) It seems he is trying to find some reason for politics to provide the sort of "good" that knowledge, art, and inquiry aim to achieve. In general, one could say that Aristotle was far more willing to conce