Kitap 7
15
but each really wishes to share with his friends the End that he is capable of attaining, or failing this, men choose most of all to benefit their friends and to be benefited by them. It is therefore manifest that to live together is actually a duty, and that all people wish it very much, and that this is most the case with the man that is the happiest and best. But that the contrary appeared to be the conclusion of the argumentCf. Aristot. Eud. Eth. 1244b 2ff., Aristot. Eud. Eth. 1245a.27. was also reasonable, the statement being true. For the solution is on the line of the comparison,i.e. of man with God, Aristot. Eud. Eth. 1244b 7. the correspondence being true; for the fact that God is not of such a nature as to need a friend postulates that man, who is like God, also does not need one.
16
Yet according to this argument the virtuous man will not think of anything; for God’s perfection does not permit of this, but he is too perfect to think of anything else beside himself. And the reason is that for us well-being has reference to something other than ourselves, but in his case he is himself his own well-being.
