Book 1 / Chapter 7
Paragraph 2 - The Nature of the Chief Good
Explanation - Part By Part
"So the argument has by a different course reached the same point; but we must try to state this even more clearly."
Aristotle is saying that, while the discussion has essentially brought us back to the same basic idea—that everything we do aims at some kind of "good"—he feels it's important to make this concept even clearer by diving deeper into it. He's not satisfied with just repeating the point but wants to sharpen its meaning so there’s no confusion moving forward.
"Since there are evidently more than one end, and we choose some of these (e.g. wealth, flutes, and in general instruments) for the sake of something else, clearly not all ends are final ends; but the chief good is evidently something final."
Aristotle is explaining that not every goal or purpose (what he calls "ends") is final, meaning that not everything we aim for is an ultimate goal. Some things, like wealth or tools (e.g., flutes or other instruments), are not desired for their own sake, but because they help us achieve something else. For example, people want wealth not for the sake of having money, but because it allows them to obtain things they value, like comfort or resources. By contrast, the "chief good" he is talking about is a final goal—something we aim for solely because it's valuable in itself, not as a means to something else.
"Therefore, if there is only one final end, this will be what we are seeking, and if there are more than one, the most final of these will be what we are seeking."
Aristotle is saying that if everything we do ultimately leads to some kind of goal or "end," then there must be one ultimate end that we’re truly aiming for. If there happens to be more than one end, then the one that is most ultimate, the most complete, will be the one we're really seeking. Essentially, he’s trying to identify the highest goal or purpose in life — the thing that is the ultimate reason for all other actions. It’s the "why" behind everything we do.
"Now we call that which is in itself worthy of pursuit more final than that which is worthy of pursuit for the sake of something else, and that which is never desirable for the sake of something else more final than the things that are desirable both in themselves and for the sake of that other thing, and therefore we call final without qualification that which is always desirable in itself and never for the sake of something else."
Aristotle is sharpening his point here by distinguishing between different types of goals or "ends." Some things we pursue for the sake of something else—for example, we might want wealth because it allows us to buy things we need or desire. These kinds of ends aren't "final" because they depend on some further goal to give them value.
Now, Aristotle says that things which are desirable for their own sake (and not because they lead to something else) are more "final" or ultimate. In fact, the most final thing—the one we’re ultimately aiming for—would be something that is always valuable in itself, never pursued as a means to achieve anything further. This most final end, he implies, is the chief good—the ultimate goal of life that gives all other pursuits meaning.
In short, Aristotle is trying to orient us toward identifying this ultimate "final end," because understanding that is key to understanding what it means to live a good life.