Book 1
6.15
Further, natural cleverness, good memory, readiness to learn, quick-wittedness, and all similar qualities; for these faculties are productive of advantages. The same applies to all the sciences, arts, and even life, for even though no other good should result from it,
6.16
it is desirable in itself. Lastly, justice, since it is expedient in general for the common weal.
6.17
These are nearly all the things generally recognized as good;
6.18
in the case of doubtful goods, the arguments in their favor are drawn from the following. That is good the opposite of which is evil,
6.19
or the opposite of which is advantageous to our enemies; for instance, if it is specially advantageous to our enemies that we should be cowards, it is clear that courage is specially advantageous to the citizens.
6.20
And, speaking generally, the opposite of what our enemies desire or of that in which they rejoice, appears to be advantageous; wherefore it was well said: Of a truth Priam would exult.Hom. Il.1.255. The words are those of Nestor to Achilles and Agamemnon, in which he points out how their enemies would rejoice if they heard all the story of their quarrel. This is not always the case, but only as a general rule, for there is nothing to prevent one and the same thing being sometimes advantageous to two opposite parties; hence it is said that misfortune brings men together, when a common danger threatens them.
6.21
That which is not in excessReading ὅ. The ordinary reading οὗ is taken to mean that which does not permit excess, that which is midway between two extremes, the mean. Another suggested rendering is, that of which one cannot have too much. is good, whereas that which is greater than it should be, is bad.
