...happiness is an activity and a complete utilization of virtue, not conditionally but absolutely. Aristotle More Quotes by Aristotle More Quotes From Aristotle There is an ideal of excellence for any particular craft or occupation; similarly there must be an excellent that we can achieve as human beings. That is, we can live our lives as a whole in such a way that they can be judged not just as excellent in this respect or in that occupation, but as excellent, period. Only when we develop our truly human capacities sufficiently to achieve this human excellent will we have lives blessed with happiness. Aristotle craftsexcellenceblessed The blood of a goat will shatter a diamond. Aristotle goatsdiamondblood To die, and thus avoid poverty or love, or anything painful, is not the part of a brave man, but rather of a coward; for it is cowardice to avoid trouble, and the suicide does not undergo death because it is honorable, but in order to avoid evil. Aristotle suicidemenorder If a man of good natural disposition acquires Intelligence [as a whole], then he excels in conduct, and the disposition which previously only resembled Virtue, will now be Virtue in the true sense. Hence just as with the faculty of forming opinions [the calculative faculty] there are two qualities, Cleverness and Prudence, so also in the moral part of the soul there are two qualities, natural virtue and true Virtue; and true Virtue cannot exist without Prudence. Aristotle soulmentwo For example, justice is considered to mean equality, It does mean equality- but equality for those who are equal, and not for all. Aristotle sadjusticemean Teaching is the highest form of understanding. Aristotle educationalteachingjustice Again, the male is by nature superior, and the female inferior; and the one rules, and the other is ruled; this principle, of necessity, extends to all mankind. Aristotle malesfemaleprinciples That which is in locomotion must arrive at the half-way stage before it arrives at the goal. Aristotle distancehalfgoal There is always something new coming out of Africa. Aristotle coming-outsomething-new ...for all men do their acts with a view to achieving something which is, in their view, a good. Aristotle achieveviewsmen A tragedy is the imitation of an action that is serious and also, as having magnitude, complete in itself . . . with incidents arousing pity and fear, wherewith to accomplish its catharsis of such emotions. Aristotle catharsistragedyfear Emotions of any kind are produced by melody and rhythm; therefore by music a man becomes accustomed to feeling the right emotions; music has thus the power to form character, and the various kinds of music based on various modes may be distinguished by their effects on character. Aristotle feelingscharactermen Equality consists in the same treatment of similar persons. Aristotle equal-treatmentequalitypersons No excellent soul is exempt from a mixture of madness. Aristotle philosophicalsoulinsanity Distance does not break off the friendship absolutely, but only the activity of it. Aristotle break-offlong-distance-relationshipdoe Prayers and sacrifices are of no avail. Aristotle sacrificeatheismprayer There is no great genius without a mixture of madness. Aristotle creativitydepressionfunny If the art of ship-building were in the wood, ships would exist by nature. Aristotle woodsatheismart Fate of empires depends on the education of youth Aristotle empiresfateeducational We maintain, and have said in the Ethics, if the arguments there adduced are of any value, that happiness is the realization and perfect exercise of virtue, and this not conditional, but absolute. And I used the term 'conditional' to express that which is indispensable, and 'absolute' to express that which is good in itself. Aristotle realizationperfectexercise
