Praise to the Comparable

Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics Book 1 Ch. 12

This is a rendition of Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics for contemporary readers. Brief, understandable pieces with a short practice to integrate the wisdom into your life. No philosophical background necessary.

Aristotle will demonstrate how our praise can reveal the hierarchy of value.

Whenever we praise something, it is by placing it in comparison to other things of lesser value. Hence, we praise the just person and the courageous person because we know of wicked and cowardly people. Similarly, we praise the strong man and swift runner because we compare them to the weak and the slow. 

But those things which are incomparable are not praised. This is why none praise happiness the way they praise strength. That happiness isn’t praised might reveal that it is superior to those things that are, just as it is manifestly laughable to praise the gods, as this only arises by comparing them to us, an absurd act. 

It’s not enough to just read. You must clothe these ideas in your concrete reality. The following practice will bring some of this wisdom into your life.

Be serious about living well.

Practice (preferably in writing):

• Choose an action you did recently that was part of your vision for a good life

• Now, answer the question, what is good about that action?

• To your new answer, ask “what is good about that?”

• Continue digging until you reach a full stop