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that happiness is a
thing honored and perfect.
[8]
This seems to be borne out by
the fact that it is a first principle or starting-point, since all other things that all
men do are done for its sake; and that which is the first principle and cause of things
good we agree to be something honorable and divine.13.
But inasmuch as happiness is a certain activity of soul in conformity with perfect
virtue, it is necessary to examine the nature of virtue. For this will probably assist us
in our investigation of the nature of happiness.
[2]
Also,
the true statesman seems to be one who has made a special study of goodness, since his aim
is to make the citizens good and law-abiding men—
[3]
witness the lawgivers of Crete and Sparta, and the other great legislators of history;
[4]
but if the study of virtue falls within the province of
Political Science, it is clear that in investigating virtue we shall be keeping to the
plan which we laid down at the outset.
[5]
Now the goodness that we have to consider is clearly human virtue, since the good or
happiness which we set out to seek is human good and human happiness.
[6]
But human virtue means in our view excellence of soul, not excellence of
body; also our definition of happiness is an activity of the soul.
[7]
Now if this is so, clearly it behoves the statesman to have some
acquaintance with psychology, just as the physician who is to heal the eye