Reading Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics — A Few More Preliminaries

Answering a few questions, mostly.

Jul 05, 2024

This week, we started what I’ve now named our Summer of Aristotle, which is a not-so-clear and maybe a bit overblown way of saying we’ve started reading Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics together. As a reminder, here’s the schedule:

July 1: Introducing the work, Aristotle’s life, etc.
July 8: Book I
July 15: Book II
July 22: Book III
July 29: Book IV
August 5: Book V
August 12: Book VI
August 19: Book VII
August 26: Book VIII
September 2: Book IX
September 9: Book X
September 16: Retrospective

And as another reminder, this read-along (and all read-alongs like it) are free. But starting in mid-July, I’m going to have monthly Zoom calls with paid subscribers to talk about what we’re reading. Our first Zoom call will be on July 22 at 7PM Central. That’s 8PM for you on the East Coast and 5PM for our friends on the West Coast. (International readers will need to calculate the time for themselves — I do hope you’re able to join. ) The day of the call, I will send an email to all paid subscribers with the Zoom link. But I’m letting you know now so you can mark your calendars.

I pushed it back to July 22 so that we’ll be several chapters into the Nicomachean Ethics, meaning we’ll have plenty to talk about. Also, my wife (a fellow philosopher) is going to join the call.

If you want to join those calls, you can become a paying subscriber.

Now, in preparation for next Monday’s post, let me address a few questions that have come up.

What translation should you read?

My preferred translation is from the University of Chicago Press, translated by Bartlett & Collins. I prefer this not because of any expertise I have in assessing the quality of Greek translations, but because 1) I learned Aristotle with this translation, 2) it isn’t too expensive in most markets, and 3) I like the way it reads.

But if you for some reason can’t get it, try the edition from Cambridge.

(Those links are affiliates with Amazon, meaning if you buy something I get a small commission.)

Some of you might have other translations already, and you might not want to spend another $20. And I am here to tell you that is OK. Because all good translations of Aristotle use the line numbers based on the Greek text, we’ll be able to reference the same passages. But if you’re not using the Chicago edition, the wording is going to be different, and so you’ll have to do a bit more work as we carry on our discussions.

When picking a translation, especially of a text in a language you don’t read, the best advice I can give you is to trust to find publishers you trust. Publishers have to maintain their reputations, and it is more manageable to find publishers you trust rather than assessing every individual translation.

Most university presses are good. Hackett is usually excellent. Penguin is OK, but some of their older translations are clunkers.

When should you read the book?

On July 8, I’m posting my commentary on Book I. The comment section will be open. I would encourage you to have already read Book I by that date. That way you can fully participate in the conversation. Then read Book II by July 15, Book III by July 22, etc.

Reading before I post means you’re able to try and understand the text on your own, which is essential. A group discussion works best when everybody has already thought about the text in advance. That means coming with some questions, being prepared to try to answer others’ questions, etc.

What happens if you fall behind?

Try to catch up! We’re moving at a fairly brisk clip, especially if you aren’t used to reading ancient philosophy. But the goal is to get a general view of Aristotle’s ethics, not to become Aristotle experts. We’ll focus on major themes, a few important arguments, etc. We won’t be stressing over every little detail, because we don’t have the capacity to do so.