Book 1
5
(3) Again, if it is better to be happy as a result of one’s own exertions than by the gift of fortune, it is reasonable to suppose that this is how happiness is won; inasmuch as in the world of nature things have a natural tendency to be ordered in the best possible way,
6
and the same is true of the products of art, and of causation of any kind, and especially the highest.i.e., the intelligence of man. Whereas that the greatest and noblest of all things should be left to fortune would be too contrary to the fitness of things.
7
Light is also thrown on the question by our definition of happiness, which said that it is a certain kind of activity of the soul; whereas the remaining good thingsCf. 8.15, 16, and 8.2 note. are either merely indispensable conditions of happiness, or are of the nature of auxiliary means, and useful instrumentally.
8
This conclusionViz., that happiness depends on us and not on fortune, the answer implied by the foregoing arguments to the question raised in 9.1. moreover agrees with what we laid down at the outset; for we stated that the Supreme Good was the end of political science, but the principal care of this science is to produce a certain character in the citizens, namely to make them virtuous, and capable of performing noble actions.
9
We have good reasons therefore for not speaking of an ox or horse or any other animal as being happy, because none of these is able to participate in noble activities.
10
For this cause also children cannot be happy, for they are not old enough to be capable of noble acts; when children are spoken of as happy, it is in compliment to their promise for the future. Happiness, as we said, requires both complete goodness and a complete lifetime.
