The Nicomachean Ethics

By: Aristotle, David Ross - translator

Narrated by: Nadia May

In the Nicomachean Ethics (so called after their first editor, Aristotle's son Nicomachus) Aristotle sets out to discover the good life for man: the life of happiness or eudaimonia. Happiness for Aristotle is the activity of the soul in accordance with virtue. Virtue is shown in the deliberate choice of actions as part of a worked-out plan of life, a plan which takes a middle course between excess and deficiency. This is the famous doctrine of the golden mean; courage, for example, is a mean between cowardice and rashness, and justice between a man's getting more or less than his due. The supreme happiness, according to Aristotle, is to be found in a life of philosophical contemplation; but this is only possible for a few, and a secondary kind of happiness is available in a virtuous life of political activity and public magnificence.

Public Domain (P)2000 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Wonderful

Nadia May's clear and fetching voice brings us this most ancient, complete and instructive of works, by the old master himself. The translation is equally lucid. As for a review of Aristotle's writing, I shall refrain, as it is an experience indescribable. Do not skip this one!

Sophomoric Drivel

To call it sophomoric is to elevate it above its station. Aristotle comes across as an elitist who narrated this after a bender. The reader did a good job given the source material. I wanted to 'read' the source material, I've always felt that Virtue ethics and imaginative religious work had a common core. Hearing this, my feeling has only strengthened. As with religion, it seems this only plays well to people already indoctrinated into the mindset. Plato's Republic had the same vibe, and given the relationship between the two, it's not surprising. I am left wondering if these two are just satirists and some generations later, they're being interpreted as something more.

Good but confusing

I enjoyed it but had trouble with a few sections. The reader was good but not amazing. I mean I am 12 so that is most likely the reason I had trouble understanding a few sections.

One of the most important foundations for Ethical thinking, judgment, & action

Ethics is extremely complicated but we can find profound insights into human nature and what the good life is by a careful reading of Aristotle’s Ethics. He accords with Confucian ethics in many important ways and complements Confucian virtue concerned with community by augmenting the pursuit and practice of virtue in individual life. Western philosophy begins with Socrates, Plato, & Aristotle. Aristotle is pragmatic and down to earth and shows how thriving depends on the pursuit and practice of virtue.

Excellent Reading

The basis of today's problems and their analysis 2,500 ago. The answer to ethical diplomas and existential questions for inquisitive minds. Unfortunately with all the analysis comes the realization and understanding of what is going wrong in our modern world.

excellent narration

and of course the book is excellent. a must 'read'. ....words, words, filler words .

It's All About the Pacing

Would you listen to another book narrated by Nadia May?

Yes.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Definitely not.

Any additional comments?

The problem I had with this reading was with the pacing of the presentation. When philosophical concepts are being presented in a book, especially so in a book being read and listened to aloud, many times it is necessary for the listener to take a moment or two to pause to digest what he has just heard. A work of philosophy cannot be read at the same pace as can be read (say) a page-turner novel.

And therein lay the difficulty I had with listening to this presentation. It was a bit like riding through a museum on a bicycle. It was an otherwise excellent recitation read too quickly. I would have liked for the work to have been read a bit more slowly with longer pauses between paragraphs. I realize that what I have just said could be said about any work that requires a bit of intellectual heavy lifting to be properly comprehended . . . but there you have it.

Fortunately, my listening device came equipped with a pause and rewind button.