Book 1 / Chapter 7
Paragraph 4 - The Concept of Self-Sufficiency in Pursuit of Happiness
Explanation - Part By Part
"From the point of view of self-sufficiency the same result seems to follow; for the final good is thought to be self-sufficient."
Here, Aristotle is continuing his argument about happiness being the ultimate goal or "final good" in life. He points out that the "final good" must also be self-sufficient. In other words, it should be complete on its own and not reliant on other things to fulfill its purpose. This idea of self-sufficiency strengthens his conclusion that happiness is the ultimate good because it stands independently as a desirable end in itself.
"Now by self-sufficient we do not mean that which is sufficient for a man by himself, for one who lives a solitary life, but also for parents, children, wife, and in general for his friends and fellow citizens, since man is born for citizenship."
Aristotle is making it clear that "self-sufficiency" does not mean isolating oneself from others or being entirely independent in a solitary way. Humans aren't meant to live alone; rather, they are inherently social beings who thrive within relationships and communities. When he describes self-sufficiency, he includes the well-being of those connected to us—our family, friends, and fellow members of society—because our lives are deeply intertwined with others. For Aristotle, being "self-sufficient" means having a life that is fulfilling and complete within the context of our connections and responsibilities to others, not in isolation.
"But some limit must be set to this; for if we extend our requirement to ancestors and descendants and friends' friends we are in for an infinite series."
In this part, Aristotle is saying there needs to be a practical limit to how far we extend the idea of "self-sufficiency" when thinking about happiness. He acknowledges that humans are social beings who naturally consider people like their parents, children, spouses, friends, and community as part of their well-being. However, if we start extending this to include everyone connected to them—like ancestors, distant descendants, and friends-of-friends—it becomes an endless chain that’s impossible to manage or account for. This would make the concept of self-sufficiency unworkably large. Essentially, he's highlighting the need to keep things grounded and focused when defining what it means for happiness to be "self-sufficient."
"Let us examine this question, however, on another occasion; the self-sufficient we now define as that which when isolated makes life desirable and lacking in nothing; and such we think happiness to be."
Aristotle is explaining here what he means by "self-sufficient." He defines something as self-sufficient if, when it stands alone, it makes life worth living and leaves nothing important missing. In other words, it is complete on its own and provides everything necessary for a fulfilling life. He applies this concept to happiness, expressing the idea that happiness is the ultimate goal because it fulfills this condition—it is enough by itself to make life worthwhile.
"And further we think it most desirable of all things, without being counted as one good thing among others- if it were so counted it would clearly be made more desirable by the addition of even the least of goods; for that which is added becomes an excess of goods, and of goods the greater is always more desirable."
Aristotle is emphasizing here that happiness stands apart from other "good things" because it is complete and self-contained. If happiness were just one good thing among many, then adding even a tiny bit of another good thing would make the total greater and thus more desirable. But this doesn't work with happiness because it is supreme—it doesn’t need additional goods to make it better. Happiness is ultimate; it's not something we improve by piling on other minor goods. It’s already the most complete and desirable thing in itself.
"Happiness, then, is something final and self-sufficient, and is the end of action."
Aristotle is saying here that happiness is the ultimate goal—the final destination—of everything we do. It is not a means to achieve something else; it is an end in itself. Furthermore, happiness is "self-sufficient," meaning it fulfills all of life's needs, making life complete and worth living. It doesn't depend on adding anything else to it to make it better or more desirable. In other words, happiness stands alone as the highest aim of human life and the ultimate purpose of all our actions.