Nicomachean Ethics

Aristotle’s work is best understood through the historical context of the Greek philosophical tradition. It is impossible to escape the influence of the Greeks on modern philosophical thought. Modern readers of philosophy may be astounded at first to find how often Aristotle’s work, as well as many other Greek philosophers’ contributions, still resonates and impacts the field. Many of the most important questions humans still grapple with were posed by Greek philosophers, including the question that is explored in Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics: How should we live?

Understanding historical context for this work and others from the same period allows the reader to consider both how Greek philosophers influenced modern thought and how their thinking was influenced by the experiences of their time. While Aristotle was considering the thoughts presented in Nicomachean Ethics, slavery was prevalent, and Greek society was fundamentally patriarchal. The influence of the moral code of the time and the Greeks’ bias against other cultures can be found in Aristotle’s work in Book 7, in which he describes the vice of bestiality as one that is more common among non-Greek peoples. The philosopher’s work was both advanced, which accounts for its continued influence, and rooted in modes of thinking about society and inclusion that are not accepted in the contemporary era.

Aristotle’s father died when he was young, so Aristotle was raised by his sister. When he began attending The Academy, he joined an important line of great thinkers, beginning with Socrates. Socrates is considered the founder of Western philosophy; although no written works by Socrates exist, his work was immortalized by his students, who wrote and expanded upon his ideas. Socrates founded the Socratic method, a means of asking questions to find flaws in logic and reasoning. A jury of hundreds of Greek citizens sentenced Socrates to death on charges of corruption of the minds of young Greek citizens and for not worshipping the gods recognized by the Greek state.

Plato was the star pupil of Socrates, and he founded one of the first organized educational institutions, The Academy. Plato contributed significantly to the fields of science and philosophy. His works are remarkably preserved and continue to be read and studied; his “Allegory of the Cave” is considered a profound and lasting metaphor.

Although Aristotle was a prized student at Plato’s Academy, he was not selected as his successor. After leaving Athens for a while and tutoring a young Alexander the Great, Aristotle returned to Athens to start his own school, the Lyceum. The name comes from the Greek word “lykeion,” which means a garden with covered walks. Aristotle was known for walking around the grounds of the Lyceum while engaging in discussion with his students.

Scholars believe one of the reasons Aristotle was passed over for overseeing The Academy was that his ideas diverged from those held by Socrates and Plato. Socrates presented a theoretical approach that emphasized rationalism, but Aristotle saw ethics as practical; he believed that ethics could provide instruction for how to live the best life. His methods of observational science and experimental thinking are recognized around the world. Aristotle created a way of categorizing species that became the basis for modern taxonomy. In his era, science, philosophy, and math all fell under the umbrella of Greek philosophical inquiry, and Greek philosophers believed that all these components engaged the larger questions of existence.