Book 7 / Chapter 12
Paragraph 3 - Pleasure as Activity and End
Explanation - Part By Part
"Again, it is not necessary that there should be something else better than pleasure, as some say the end is better than the process; for pleasures are not processes nor do they all involve process—they are activities and ends."
Aristotle is addressing a common argument where some people suggest that there must always be something better than pleasure, like an ultimate goal or "end" that is greater than the pleasure itself. He challenges this idea by pointing out that pleasure is not a process leading to some result; instead, it is an activity that can be complete in itself. In other words, pleasures do not exist merely as steps toward something else—they can be ends in their own right, enjoyed for their own sake.
"Nor do they arise when we are becoming something, but when we are exercising some faculty; and not all pleasures have an end different from themselves, but only the pleasures of persons who are being led to the perfecting of their nature."
Aristotle is explaining that pleasures don’t occur during a process of change or "becoming" something (like learning a skill or healing from illness). Instead, pleasure happens when we are actively using or exercising our abilities or faculties—when we are doing something in alignment with our nature or purpose.
Additionally, he distinguishes between types of pleasures. Some pleasures are complete in themselves—they don’t exist for the sake of something else. For example, the joy of genuinely engaging in a meaningful conversation or contemplating a profound idea has no separate "end" beyond the experience itself. However, there are some pleasures (specifically for people who are still growing or improving themselves) that are tied to an end—they help lead the person toward the fulfillment or "perfecting" of their nature, like the relief and satisfaction you might feel on the way to achieving a difficult goal. These kinds of pleasures are more transitional, part of self-improvement, rather than fully "complete" in themselves.
In short: true pleasure comes from living according to your purpose and using your abilities, not from transitionary states of becoming or incomplete processes.
"This is why it is not right to say that pleasure is perceptible process, but it should rather be called activity of the natural state, and instead of 'perceptible' 'unimpeded'."
Aristotle is making a critical distinction here about what pleasure truly is. He argues that pleasure should not be thought of as a process—something that happens as a transition or a step-by-step movement towards a goal. Instead, pleasure is better understood as an activity of the natural state. In other words, pleasure occurs when you're fully engaging in an activity that aligns with your nature or purpose, and it's experienced in a way that is unimpeded—free of obstacles or disruptions.
By substituting "unimpeded" for "perceptible," Aristotle emphasizes that pleasure isn't something external or passive that you merely sense or notice happening. It is an active, seamless expression of being in harmony with your nature, functioning effortlessly in a way that feels complete in itself.
"It is thought by some people to be process just because they think it is in the strict sense good; for they think that activity is process, which it is not."
Aristotle is challenging the idea that pleasure is a process. Some people mistakenly believe that anything deemed "good" or desirable must be a kind of process—something you go through, with a beginning and an end, like building something or recovering from hunger. These individuals confuse “activity” with “process,” but Aristotle wants to make it clear that they are not the same. Pleasure, as he argues elsewhere, is not about "becoming" or transitioning from one state to another; it's an activity—a full and harmonious expression of our natural state when nothing is holding us back or impairing us. To put it simply, pleasure isn’t about moving towards something; it’s about fully enjoying being where you are.