Book 1
5.2
Therefore, for the sake of illustration, let us ascertain what happiness, generally speaking, is, and what its parts consist in; for all who exhort or dissuade discuss happiness and the things which conduce or are detrimental to it. For one should do the things which procure happiness or one of its parts, or increase instead of diminishing it, and avoid doing those things which destroy or hinder it or bring about what is contrary to it.
5.3
Let us then define happiness as well-being combined with virtue, or independence of life, or the life that is most agreeable combined with security, or abundance of possessions and slaves,This is the usual rendering, although it is hardly satisfactory. Jebb translates a flourishing state . . . of body. combined with power to protect and make use of themOr, bring about, effect them.; for nearly all men admit that one or more of these things constitutes happiness.
