phl

In the section above Aristotle argues from a premise (or starting assumption) to a conclusion.  His first premise is, in summary:

[1]  Everything we do as human beings aims at some sort of “good,” that is, some kind of benefit or goal or purpose.

For instance, if you smother your roommate in the middle of the night with a pillow, you wouldn’t do that for just any reason.  You’d have some specific “good” you are trying to accomplish: for instance, stopping his loud snoring so you can finally get a decent night’s sleep.

Presumably, this is not a morally good way of handling the situation, but it is a good that you’re trying to accomplish – in the sense that you think, at the moment you act, you’ll be better off doing it.

Aristotle argues from this premise down to a specific conclusion:

[8]  There is an end of our actions that is the ultimate end, that is, the highest good or goal.

Your assignment is to take the rest of the numbered paragraphs (which I've numbered [2] through [7]) and re-word them in your own words, just as I did here with [1] and [8].  You should have eight numbered sentences when you’re done, including the two I’ve given you.

As you do this, try to trace out the argument, that is, highlight how Aristotle’s thought progresses from his opening assumption in [1] down to the final conclusion in [8].  What are the logical connections that lead from one paragraph to the next, if any?

This is Aristotle’s set-up for the whole Nicomachean Ethics, so he should be trying to make some kind of sense, constructing a solid starting point for his subsequent discussions.