Aristotle On Friendship Essay

Aristotle’s View on Friendship

Human beings are designed to be social, it’s our nature. Starting at a young age we develop friendships. According to Webster dictionary, a friendship is, “The state of being friends; friendly relation, or attachment, to a person, or between persons.” Aristotle does into depth about why friendship is vital to human thriving, the true definition of friendship, as well as the different types of friendships that exist.

The topic of Books VIII and IX of Aristotle’s Ethics is friendship. The term “friendship” can be easily be translated to “philia” which is the term that Aristotle is most interested in. Even though he focuses on classifying the different types of friendships and the forms that they are represented

In Book VIII of Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle says, “Between friends there is no need for justice, but people who are just still need the quality of friendship; and indeed friendliness is considered to be justice in the fullest sense. It is not only a necessary thing but a splendid one.” Friendships are balanced by the fact that each friend gives as much as receives. As Aristotle demonstrates, justice and friendship are closely linked. Aristotle and the Philosophy of Friendship was written by Lorraine Smith Pangle and describes major philosophical works on friendship to emphasizes Aristotle 's analysis of friendship in the Nicomachean Ethics. She explains that Aristotle, unlike Socrates, believes firmly that friendship must be mutual. A balance between two people must be present so that justice, or a sense of equilibrium can be reached.

According to Aristotle there are three different types of friendships that exist. Friendship that is based on utility, ones that are based on pleasure, and friendship based on goodness of character. The first two kinds are superficial, so they don’t usually last long. Friendship based on goodness of character is the best kind of friendship, because these friends love one another for who they are and not for what they stand to gain from one another. Friendship exists best between

An example would be two lovers developing a passion, or a group of friends becoming close through school. This type of friendship is different from acquaintances based on utility because they are pleasure seeking. Among the youth, passion is changing constantly. This type of friendship is related to the friendship of utility in the way that they are both subject to change. Aristotle views friendship of utility and pleasure as the same in a sense, because they will both dissolve eventually. Next he tells us the most pure type of friendship: those of virtue or good