Eudemian Ethics

The Eudemian Ethics is a work by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle that explores the concept of eudaimonia, often translated as "happiness" but more accurately meaning "human flourishing" or "living well". For Aristotle, eudaimonia is the highest human good, an end in itself, achieved through the excellent performance of human beings' characteristic function: reason.1

The Eudemian Ethics, along with the Nicomachean Ethics, discusses what constitutes this highest good. While both works emphasize that eudaimonia involves rational activity in accordance with virtue, there are differing interpretations regarding their specific conclusions. The Eudemian Ethics is thought to have been written earlier and may have served as the original source for three books that are common to both treatises. It is believed that Eudemus of Rhodes, a student of Aristotle, may have edited the Eudemian Ethics.1234