Book 8
24
It is clear, then, that there are two kinds of good fortune—one divine, owing to which the fortunate man’s success is thought to be due to the aid of God, and this is the man who is successful in accordance with his impulse, while the other is he who succeeds against his impulse. Both persons are irrational. The former kind is more continuous good fortune, the latter is not continuous.
1
We have, then, previously spoken about each virtue in particular; and as we have distinguished their meaning separately, we must also describe in detail the virtue constituted from them, to which we now give the nameThe Ms. reading gives, we were already giving the name, but if that is correct, the passage referred to has been lost. of nobility.Καλοκἀγαθία, like nobility , connotes both social status and moral excellence; so καλοκἀγαθός may be rendered gentleman.
2
Now it is manifest that one who is to obtain this appellation truly must possess the particular virtues; for it is impossible for it to be otherwise in the case of any other matter either—for instance, no one is healthy in his whole body but not in any part of it, but all the parts, or most of them and the most important, must necessarily be in the same condition as the whole.
3
Now being good and being noble are really different not only in their names but also in themselves. For all goods have Ends that are desirable in and for themselves.
