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Symbolic illustration of Nicomachean Ethics in the Prokopton42.com Library

Work

Nicomachean Ethics

Aristotle

Nicomachean Ethics proceeds through distinctions, objections, and causal inquiry. The surviving text has the density of a school treatise, not a transcribed conversation.

Composition
4th century BCE; internal chronology disputed
Sources and precision

The transmitted corpus does not support a secure internal chronology. The text may combine distinct layers of composition or revision.

Confidence D · disputed range

Period
Antiquity
Languages
Ancient Greek · English · French
Extent
116 passages · 89,657 words

Before reading

What you will learn

Distinguish happiness, pleasure, and virtue, then follow how choice, habit, and circumstance compose an action for which one can answer.

Short summary

Nicomachean Ethics proceeds through distinctions, objections, and causal inquiry. The surviving text has the density of a school treatise, not a transcribed conversation.

Long summary

Canonical identity follows the CTS book and section. The critical Greek, historical English translation, and AI-generated French translation remain three aligned manifestations.

The inquiry connects human good with activity, virtue, deliberate choice, friendship, and contemplation. An isolated formula must neither erase that progression nor become a self-help maxim.

Inside this work

The table of contents follows the divisions actually carried by the corpus.

Work › Book › Section

Book 113 passages
  1. Section 1
  2. Section 10
  3. Section 11
  4. Section 12
  5. Section 13
  6. Section 2
  7. Section 3
  8. Section 4
  9. Section 5
  10. Section 6
  11. Section 7
  12. Section 8
  13. Section 9
Book 109 passages
  1. Section 1
  2. Section 2
  3. Section 3
  4. Section 4
  5. Section 5
  6. Section 6
  7. Section 7
  8. Section 8
  9. Section 9
Book 29 passages
  1. Section 1
  2. Section 2
  3. Section 3
  4. Section 4
  5. Section 5
  6. Section 6
  7. Section 7
  8. Section 8
  9. Section 9
Book 312 passages
  1. Section 1
  2. Section 10
  3. Section 11
  4. Section 12
  5. Section 2
  6. Section 3
  7. Section 4
  8. Section 5
  9. Section 6
  10. Section 7
  11. Section 8
  12. Section 9
Book 49 passages
  1. Section 1
  2. Section 2
  3. Section 3
  4. Section 4
  5. Section 5
  6. Section 6
  7. Section 7
  8. Section 8
  9. Section 9
Book 511 passages
  1. Section 1
  2. Section 10
  3. Section 11
  4. Section 2
  5. Section 3
  6. Section 4
  7. Section 5
  8. Section 6
  9. Section 7
  10. Section 8
  11. Section 9
Book 613 passages
  1. Section 1
  2. Section 10
  3. Section 11
  4. Section 12
  5. Section 13
  6. Section 2
  7. Section 3
  8. Section 4
  9. Section 5
  10. Section 6
  11. Section 7
  12. Section 8
  13. Section 9
Book 714 passages
  1. Section 1
  2. Section 10
  3. Section 11
  4. Section 12
  5. Section 13
  6. Section 14
  7. Section 2
  8. Section 3
  9. Section 4
  10. Section 5
  11. Section 6
  12. Section 7
  13. Section 8
  14. Section 9
Book 814 passages
  1. Section 1
  2. Section 10
  3. Section 11
  4. Section 12
  5. Section 13
  6. Section 14
  7. Section 2
  8. Section 3
  9. Section 4
  10. Section 5
  11. Section 6
  12. Section 7
  13. Section 8
  14. Section 9
Book 912 passages
  1. Section 1
  2. Section 10
  3. Section 11
  4. Section 12
  5. Section 2
  6. Section 3
  7. Section 4
  8. Section 5
  9. Section 6
  10. Section 7
  11. Section 8
  12. Section 9

Concepts covered

Historical context

The world around the text

The corpus manifests do not yet establish the precise place and circumstances of composition. The images below document the author’s world or the text’s transmission. They do not claim to show the exact scene of writing.

These are modern reconstructions. They situate a documented place, practice, or transmission and are not period documents.

Modern reconstruction of Inquiry at the Lyceum for Nicomachean Ethics on Prokopton42.com
Inquiry at the LyceumA modern interpretation of Aristotle in the documented context titled “Inquiry at the Lyceum”, set around c. 335 BCE.Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Aristotle
Modern reconstruction of Nearby historical landmark, 334–323 BCE for Nicomachean Ethics on Prokopton42.com
Nearby historical landmark, 334–323 BCEAlexander’s conquests open the Hellenistic age, where Greek schools spread far beyond Athens. The image situates Nicomachean Ethics without claiming to show its scene of composition.
Modern reconstruction of Nearby historical landmark, 334–323 BCE for Nicomachean Ethics on Prokopton42.com
Nearby historical landmark, 334–323 BCEAlexander’s conquests open the Hellenistic age, where Greek schools spread far beyond Athens. The image situates Nicomachean Ethics without claiming to show its scene of composition.

What the world looked like

World of 1989

Modern reconstruction of the material world around Nicomachean Ethics: Technology, science, and care
Technology, science, and carePersonal computers, satellites, video, industrial robots, and expensive mobile phones exist, but the public Web does not yet. Computing, genetics, climate science, cosmology, and medical imaging produce growing data and international collaboration. CT, MRI, transplantation, vaccines, and intensive care advance; the AIDS epidemic exposes both medical capacity and its limits.
Modern reconstruction of the material world around Nicomachean Ethics: Travel and communication
Travel and communicationCars, high-speed rail, metros, aircraft, and containers globalize people and goods. Fixed telephones, fax, television, radio, and newspapers predominate. Email and computer networks remain mainly professional or academic.
Modern reconstruction of the material world around Nicomachean Ethics: Farming and food
Farming and foodMachinery, chemical inputs, breeding, and cold chains support high yields with increasingly debated social and environmental costs.
Modern reconstruction of the material world around Nicomachean Ethics: Clothing, women and men
Clothing, women and menLoose suits, jeans, trainers, women’s power suits, sportswear, and urban subcultures create highly varied silhouettes.
State of technology
Personal computers, satellites, video, industrial robots, and expensive mobile phones exist, but the public Web does not yet.
Science and knowledge
Computing, genetics, climate science, cosmology, and medical imaging produce growing data and international collaboration.
Medicine and care
CT, MRI, transplantation, vaccines, and intensive care advance; the AIDS epidemic exposes both medical capacity and its limits.
Transport
Cars, high-speed rail, metros, aircraft, and containers globalize people and goods.
Agriculture and food
Machinery, chemical inputs, breeding, and cold chains support high yields with increasingly debated social and environmental costs.
Communication
Fixed telephones, fax, television, radio, and newspapers predominate. Email and computer networks remain mainly professional or academic.
Clothing and fashion
Loose suits, jeans, trainers, women’s power suits, sportswear, and urban subcultures create highly varied silhouettes.

Editions, translations, and provenance

The following carriers represent the text. They do not create new passage identities.

  • Ancient Greekcomplete_aligned_treatise
  • Englishcomplete_aligned_treatise
  • French AI-generated translation, non-officialCodex gpt-5.6-sol · Non-official working translation · 2026-09-13

Source manifests: aristotle.nicomachean_ethics

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Nicomachean EthicsAristotle

Before reading

What you will learn

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