Now it is pretty clear that the presence of happiness is bestowed upon men by all of these things, or by some or one of them; for almost all the modes in which it is produced fall under these principles, inasmuch as all the acts that spring from thought may be included with those that spring from knowledge. But to be happy and to five blissfully and finely may consist chiefly in three things deemed to be most desirable: some people say that Wisdom The Greek term here still retains the general sense that it has in Plato. In the Nicomachean Ethics it is limited to Practical Wisdom, prudentia, prudence, as distinct from θεωρία , sapientia, speculative wisdom. is the greatest good, others Goodness It must always be remembered that the Greek term is less limited in meaning than virtue, and may denote excellence in any department, not only moral goodness. and others Pleasure. And certain persons debate about their importance in relation to happiness, declaring that one contributes more to it than another—some holding that Wisdom is a greater good than Goodness, others the reverse, and others that Pleasure is a greater good than either of them; and some think that the happy life comes from them all, others from two of them, others that it consists in some one of them. Having then in regard to this subject established that everybody able to live according to his own purposive choice should set before him some object for noble living to aim at Cf. Aristot. Nic. Eth. 1094a 22, 1095a 22-26. —either honor or else glory or wealth or culture—on which he will keep his eyes fixed in all his conduct (since clearly it is a mark of much folly not to have one’s life regulated with regard to some End), it is therefore most necessary first to decide within oneself, neither hastily nor carelessly, in which of the things that belong to us the good life consists, and what are the indispensable conditions for men’s possessing it. For there is a distinction between health and the things that are indispensable conditions of health,