Book 1
1
But inasmuch as happiness is a certain activity of soul in conformity with perfect virtue, it is necessary to examine the nature of virtue. For this will probably assist us in our investigation of the nature of happiness.
2
Also, the true statesman seems to be one who has made a special study of goodness, since his aim is to make the citizens good and law-abiding men—
3
witness the lawgivers of Crete and Sparta, and the other great legislators of history;
4
but if the study of virtue falls within the province of Political Science, it is clear that in investigating virtue we shall be keeping to the plan which we laid down at the outset.
5
Now the goodness that we have to consider is clearly human virtue, since the good or happiness which we set out to seek is human good and human happiness.
6
But human virtue means in our view excellence of soul, not excellence of body; also our definition of happiness is an activity of the soul.
