Book A

Abstract

Every art and every inquiry,¹ and similarly, every action and every intention is thought² to aim at some good; hence men³ have expressed themselves well in declaring the good to be that at which all things aim⁴. But there appears to be a difference among the ends; for some are activities, others are products apart from the [activities which produce them]. Whenever there are ends apart from the actions⁵ [which produce them], the products are by nature better than the corresponding activities.⁶