ARISTOTLE

50? s eo is one an ‘ we ono c ooseeve
ti? _kI at fth , air d t h ry
EHAPTER I thing for the sake of some other thing-that
fi 1 would clearly be an endless process, making all de-
35]§«iyE11Y SCIENCE and every investigation, and like- sire futile and idle-it is clear that this one ulti-
jwise eve ractic ursui an un ert ‘n a – mate en wi e oo an e reatest oo
ryp alp t d d akig,p d llbgd, dthg gd
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pears to aim at some good: and consequently the Then will not a knowledge of this ultimate end be
it’: ff;-gaod has been well defined as the object at which of more than theoretic interest? VVill it not also
i aim. It is true that a certain variety can have great practical importance for the conduct of
=g:b”e’observed among the ends aimed at; sometimes life? Shall We not be more likely to attain our
mere activity of practicing the pursuit is the needs if like archers we have a target before us to
i§§;f’object of pursuing it, whereas in other cases the aim at? If this be so, an attempt must be made to
gnd aimed at is some product over and above ascertain at all events in outline what precisely this
fl”,-,=;_l’l’1C pursuit itself; and in the pursuits that aim at supreme good is, and under which of the theoret-
ceitajn objects besides their mere practice, those ical or practical sciences it falls.
Iii-“=§,’j§i3?roducts are essentially superiorin value to the ac- Now it would be agreed that it must be the
4§Eé. itivities that produce them. But as there are nu- subject of the most authoritative of the sciences-
3, ‘;EDli’
éifitsmerous pursuits and sciences and branches of the one that is in the fullest sense of the term a
knowledge, it follows that the ends at which they master-craft. This term clearly describes the sci-
aim are correspondingly numerous. Medicine aims ence of politics since it is that which ordains
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at producing health, naval architecture at building which of the sciences ought to exist in states and
ships, strategic science at winning victories, eco- what branches of knowledge the various classes of
iioniics at acquiring wealth. And many pursuits of citizens must study and up to what point; we ob-
i* this sort are subordinate to some single faculty- serve that even the most highly esteemed faculties
“t”‘««.-t
for instance bit-mal<1ng and the other depart- such as strategies and domestic economy and ora-
ments of the harness trade are subordinate to the tory, are subordinate to political science. As then
art of horsemanship, and the latter together with this science employs the rest of the sciences, and
every other military activity to the science of as it moreover lays down laws prescribing what
sit‘
strategies, and similarly other arts to different arts people are to do and what things they are to ab-
again. Now in all these cases the ends of the mas- stain from, the end of political science must com-
ter sciences are of higher value than the objects of prise the ends of the other sciences. Consequently
the subordinate ones, the latter being only pur- the good of man must be the subject pursued by
sued for the sake of the former. Nor does it make the science of politics. No doubt it is true that the
st»
any difference whether the end aimed at by the good is the same for the individual and for the
pursuit is the mere activity of pursuing it or some- state; but still the good of the state is manifestly a
thing else besides this, as in the case of the sciences greater and more perfect object both to ascertain
mentioned. and to secure. To procure the good of only a
15,- u u u u I u u
Ifl therefore, among the ends at which our con- single individual is better than nothing; but to ef-
duct aims there is one which we will for its own feet the good of a nation or a state is a nobler and
sake, whereas we will the other ends only for the more divine achievement.