Ἀγαθόν
good
Translated by Marcelo Boeri26 May 2000Vetting: high13 revisions
Translation
The good is that which is aimed at by all things.5
Thus the good is that on which all things depend but which itself depends on nothing.6
good
Translated by Marcelo Boeri26 May 2000Vetting: high13 revisions
Ἀγαθόν· κοινῶς μὲν τό τι ὄφελος, ἰδίως δὲ ἤτοι ταὐτὸν ἢ οὐχ ἕτερον ὠφελείας· ὅθεν αὐτήν τε τὴν ἀρετὴν καὶ τὸ μετέχον αὐτῆς ἀγαθὸν τριχῶς λέγεσθαι. οἷον τὸ ἀγαθὸν, ἀφ' οὗ συμβαίνει, ὡς τὴν πρᾶξιν καὶ τὴν ἀρετήν. ὑφ' οὗ δὲ, ὡς τὸν σπουδαῖον τὸν μετέχοντα τῆς ἀρετῆς. ἢ οὕτως· τὸ ἀγαθὸν, τὸ τέλειον κατὰ φύσιν λογικοῦ, ἢ ὡς λογικοῦ. τοιοῦτο δ' εἶναι τὴν ἀρετὴν ὡς μετέχοντα τάς τε πράξεις τὰς κατ' ἀρετὴν, καὶ τὸ σπουδαίους εἶναι. ἐπιγεννήματα δὲ τήν τε χαρὰν καὶ τὴν εὐφροσύνην καὶ τὰ παραπλήσια. ἔτι τῶν ἀγαθῶν τὰ μὲν εἶναι περὶ ψυχήν, τὰ δὲ ἐκτός, τὰ δὲ οὔτε περὶ ψυχὴν οὔτε ἐκτός. τὰ μὲν περὶ ψυχὴν ἀρετὰς καὶ τὰς κατὰ ταύτας πράξεις· τὰ δὲ ἐκτὸς τό τε σπουδαίαν ἔχειν πατρίδα καὶ σπουδαῖον φίλον καὶ τὴν τούτων εὐδαιμονίαν. τὰ δὲ οὐκ ἐκτὸς οὔτε περὶ ψυχὴν τὸ αὐτὸν ἑαυτῷ εἶναι σπουδαῖον καὶ εὐδαίμονα. ἔτι τῶν ἀγαθῶν τὰ μὲν εἶναι τελικά, τὰ δὲ ποιητικά, τὰ δὲ τελικὰ καὶ ποιητικά. τὸν μὲν οὖν φίλον καὶ τὰς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ προσγινομένας ὠφελείας ποιητικὰ εἶναι ἀγαθά· θάρσος δὲ καὶ φρόνημα καὶ ἐλευθερίαν καὶ τέρψιν καὶ εὐφροσύνην καὶ ἀλυπίαν καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν κατ' ἀρετὴν πρᾶξιν τελικά. ποιητικὰ δὲ καὶ τελικὰ, καθὸ μὲν ποιοῦσι τὴν εὐδαιμονίαν, ποιητικά ἐστιν ἀγαθά· καθὸ δὲ συμπληροῦσιν αὐτὴν, ὥστε μέρη αὐτῆς γενέσθαι, τελικά· οἷον φίλος καὶ ἐλευθερία καὶ τέρψις. ἔτι τῶν περὶ ψυχὴν ἀγαθῶν τὰ μέν εἰσιν ἕξεις, τὰ δὲ διαθέσεις, τὰ δὲ οὔτε ἕξεις οὔτε διαθέσεις. διαθέσεις μὲν αἱ ἀρεταί, ἕξεις δὲ τὰ ἐπιτηδεύματα, οὔτε δὲ ἕξεις οὔτε διαθέσεις αἱ ἐνέργειαι. κοινῶς τῶν ἀγαθῶν μικρὰ μέν ἐστιν εὐτεκνία καὶ εὐγηρία. ἁπλοῦν δέ ἐστιν ἀγαθὸν ἐπιστήμη. καὶ ἀεὶ μὲν παρόντα αἱ ἀρεταί, οὐκ ἀεὶ δὲ οἷον χαρὰ, περιπάτησις. πᾶν δὲ ἀγαθὸν λυσιτελὲς εἶναι καὶ συμφέρον καὶ δέον καὶ χρήσιμον καὶ εὔχρηστον καὶ καλὸν καὶ ὠφέλιμον καὶ δίκαιον καὶ αἱρετόν. ἀγαθὸν δέ ἐστι τὸ πᾶσιν ἐφετόν. ἀγαθὸν οὖν ἐστιν, εἰς ὃ πάντα ἀνήρτηται, αὐτὸ δὲ εἰς μηδέν.
*)agaqo/n: koinw=s me\n to/ ti o)/felos, i)di/ws de\ h)/toi tau)to\n h)\ ou)x e(/teron w)felei/as: o(/qen au)th/n te th\n a)reth\n kai\ to\ mete/xon au)th=s a)gaqo\n trixw=s le/gesqai. oi(=on to\ a)gaqo\n, a)f' ou(= sumbai/nei, w(s th\n pra=cin kai\ th\n a)reth/n. u(f' ou(= de\, w(s to\n spoudai=on to\n mete/xonta th=s a)reth=s. h)\ ou(/tws: to\ a)gaqo\n, to\ te/leion kata\ fu/sin logikou=, h)\ w(s logikou=. toiou=to d' ei)=nai th\n a)reth\n w(s mete/xonta ta/s te pra/ceis ta\s kat' a)reth\n, kai\ to\ spoudai/ous ei)=nai. e)pigennh/mata de\ th/n te xara\n kai\ th\n eu)frosu/nhn kai\ ta\ paraplh/sia. e)/ti tw=n a)gaqw=n ta\ me\n ei)=nai peri\ yuxh/n, ta\ de\ e)kto/s, ta\ de\ ou)/te peri\ yuxh\n ou)/te e)kto/s. ta\ me\n peri\ yuxh\n a)reta\s kai\ ta\s kata\ tau/tas pra/ceis: ta\ de\ e)kto\s to/ te spoudai/an e)/xein patri/da kai\ spoudai=on fi/lon kai\ th\n tou/twn eu)daimoni/an. ta\ de\ ou)k e)kto\s ou)/te peri\ yuxh\n to\ au)to\n e(autw=| ei)=nai spoudai=on kai\ eu)dai/mona. e)/ti tw=n a)gaqw=n ta\ me\n ei)=nai telika/, ta\ de\ poihtika/, ta\ de\ telika\ kai\ poihtika/. to\n me\n ou)=n fi/lon kai\ ta\s u(p' au)tou= prosginome/nas w)felei/as poihtika\ ei)=nai a)gaqa/: qa/rsos de\ kai\ fro/nhma kai\ e)leuqeri/an kai\ te/ryin kai\ eu)frosu/nhn kai\ a)lupi/an kai\ pa=san th\n kat' a)reth\n pra=cin telika/. poihtika\ de\ kai\ telika\, kaqo\ me\n poiou=si th\n eu)daimoni/an, poihtika/ e)stin a)gaqa/: kaqo\ de\ sumplhrou=sin au)th\n, w(/ste me/rh au)th=s gene/sqai, telika/: oi(=on fi/los kai\ e)leuqeri/a kai\ te/ryis. e)/ti tw=n peri\ yuxh\n a)gaqw=n ta\ me/n ei)sin e(/ceis, ta\ de\ diaqe/seis, ta\ de\ ou)/te e(/ceis ou)/te diaqe/seis. diaqe/seis me\n ai( a)retai/, e(/ceis de\ ta\ e)pithdeu/mata, ou)/te de\ e(/ceis ou)/te diaqe/seis ai( e)ne/rgeiai. koinw=s tw=n a)gaqw=n mikra\ me/n e)stin eu)tekni/a kai\ eu)ghri/a. a(plou=n de/ e)stin a)gaqo\n e)pisth/mh. kai\ a)ei\ me\n paro/nta ai( a)retai/, ou)k a)ei\ de\ oi(=on xara\, peripa/thsis. pa=n de\ a)gaqo\n lusitele\s ei)=nai kai\ sumfe/ron kai\ de/on kai\ xrh/simon kai\ eu)/xrhston kai\ kalo\n kai\ w)fe/limon kai\ di/kaion kai\ ai(reto/n. a)gaqo\n de/ e)sti to\ pa=sin e)feto/n. a)gaqo\n ou)=n e)stin, ei)s o(\ pa/nta a)nh/rthtai, au)to\ de\ ei)s mhde/n.