Friendship is central to one’s life because friends it can contribute towards shaping someone’s personality as well contribute to who we want to be in the contemporary society. Aristotle agreed in his Book VIII of the "Nichomachean Ethics" that friendship exists in three broader forms: friendship based on utility, that based on a shared appreciation of the good, and that based on pleasure (Percival, 2015). Similarly, Cicero, the Roman philosopher who lived in a different time and place, contended in his writing that "On Friendship": "Let us, then, lay down this law for friendship: we must not ask wrongful things, nor do them, if we are asked to" (Mews, 2009). These two cases of these ancient philosophers perceived relationships based on something …show more content…
Even in the obvious situation like in social media, most relationships are based on give and take kind of exchange. We have witnessed various kinds of relationships that are based on class groupings, race, sexual preferences, politics, spirituality, and even on work environment. This write-ups advances the fate of relationships based on social media, politics, and class.
Social media like Facebook, twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, among others has altered the nature of friendship. These social media platforms have only created a false sense of intimacy. Having many followers does not mean that someone has many friends. Friendship requires great deal of communication and time (Van Dijck, 2013). Social media sites also fosters illusion of community as it causes an illusion that we have a large built-in support. This is not true, even for the people with million followers. The reality is, those followers are merely a
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To him, these three reasons explain why people engage into relationships. As a result, three types of friendships, that is, genuine friendship, friendship based on mutual benefits, and friendship based on pleasure emerges. Aristotle feels that the latter two types of friendships last as long as there is pleasure and benefits, while genuine friendship takes place between people who wish good for each other and are themselves good.
Cicero on the other hand, believes that friendship is only conceivable between good men. He defined “good men’ as where companionship is part of human character. Cicero argues that this kind of friendship is founded on virtues and avails material benefits, although it does not seek for them. Cicero further argues that, people are united together with the gods, in a society of shared reason (Mews, 2009). In contrast, in the actual world, friendship is subject to all sorts of pressures. To him, life is not worth living without friends’ mutual love and friendship gives confidence for the
Cicero believed friends were people you could use as leverage by building loyalty and connections to build one’s social structure to achieve the highest prize of them all: consulship. According to Cicero, friendship creates problems, stating, “Your exalted character has compelled many to pretend to be your friends while really jealous of you” (Cicero 42). What Cicero is implying is that everyone is jealous of everyone else, and by making friends to become consul you also attract enemies who also desire power. Cicero describes three of these opponents as “First, those whom you have attacked; second, those who dislike you without definite reason; third, those who are warm friends of your competitors” (Cicero 42). One cannot please all in Rome, Cicero recounts, and because of this bitter struggle over power and private ambition friendship breeds enemies..
Friendship can be debated as both a blessing and a curse; as a necessary part of life to be happy or an unnecessary use of time. Friends can be a source of joy and support, they can be a constant stress and something that brings us down, or anywhere in between. In Book 9 of Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle discusses to great lengths what friendship is and how we should go about these relationships. In the short story “Melvin in the Sixth Grade” by Dana Johnson, we see the main character Avery’s struggle to find herself and also find friendship, as well as Melvin’s rejection of the notion that one must have friends.
What I noticed when comparing the two readings, Cicero refers to the virtue of the friendship more than
Late one evening, curled up in her nest, Harriet lay thoughtfully reading the last of Aristotle’s model of friendships: the perfect friendship. Though no secret to Harriet, Aristotle presents the idea that it is the most desirable and genuine of the three forms. The foundation of this friendship is not trivial, but instead the relationship is built on a common good and virtuous nature. As Aristotle explains, “those who love for the sake of utility love for the sake of what is good for themselves, and those who love for the sake of pleasure do so for the sake of what is pleasant to themselves.” Aristotle continues, “Perfect friendship is the friendship of men who are good, and alike in virtue; for those wish well alike to each other qua good, and they are good in themselves.” (concluding sentence or two...)
Aristotle considers friendship to be a necessity to live. He claims that no individual would chose to live without friends even if the individual had all of the other good things in life. He also describes friendship as a virtue and as just. Given the above statements on friendship, it is safe to say that Aristotle felt that friendship is something that every human must have in order to reach a peaceful state of mind. It has all of the qualities of good as long as both parties of a friendship are considered good. Therefore, the role of friendship in a society is to promote goodness between all parties involved in it.
II In Books VIII and IX, Aristotle discusses the role of friendship in the good life.
Aristotle believes that everyone is in need of some type of friend, he states that “for rich people and those who rule and have power, there seems to be the greatest need for friends.”(page. 144, book VIII) Aristotle believes that we as humans benefit greatly from having friends, no matter who we are or what position we are in wealthy or poor. There are three distinct types of friendship that Aristotle directs his beliefs towards. These three types of friendships include: Utility, pleasure, and Goodness or virtuous friendship. Aristotle believes that friendship is something that is extremely important to have and should be held above many things. Friendship Utility is unlike the friendships of pleasure or goodness because as Aristotle puts it is “for the old” he explains that friendship Utility is a friendship that two people may have where they only communicate with one another for self-benefit or to gain something for one’s self. These two people are not likely to live with each other and at times may not even be nice to th...
First, the article introduces the audience to friendships described by Aristotle, and Todd May. In the text it states, “It is threatened when we are encouraged to look up on those
Aristotle argues that friendship is a vital part of life. It serves not only as a means to bond individuals together, but also a necessity in achieving overall happiness. Aristotle comments on the various types of friendships that exist, and the role they each play in society. He explains three overarching types; utility, pleasure, and complete friendship. Yet, with family, friendship is different than it is with companionship. As Aristotle states in his piece, Nicomachean Ethics on friendship in families, “they all seem to depend on paternal friendship” (Aristotle, 1161b18). In The Aeneid, Aeneas and Anchises’ relationship, perfectly embodies this. The father son bond does not distinctly resemble one of the three types, rather it is a friendship in of itself; a paternal friendship.
Notherpundit argues that thinkers, like Emerson and Cicero, believe that we should not need our friends and that we should be able to do equally well without them. I disagree with the first part of Notherpundit’s argument because I believe that thinkers, who advocate for self-reliance and social nonconformity, are not against people needing their friends. These thinkers simply argue that we should not conform to our friends and that we should develop a better approach to friendship, one that does not involve conformity. According to Emerson, we should trust our own intuition and not jeopardize our individuality for the sake of fitting in with others, such as our friends. In order to do this, our concern for ourselves must outweigh our concern for others. For instance, Emerson exclaims that “what I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think” (Self-Reliance, paragraph 9). Thus, we should not lessen ourselves for the sake of making our friends feel comfortable or let what our friends think of us get in the way of expressing our true thoughts and feelings. Instead, Emerson believes that we should be authentically ourselves at all times, never
Aristotle presents his view of the mutual desire for good in others, or Friendship in his work, The Nicomachean Ethics. He asserts that friendship comes in three types, Virtue Friendship, Use Friendship, and Pleasure Friendship. He distinguishes Virtue Friendship as the perfect friendship, leaving Use Friendship and Pleasure friendship as deficient friendships. C.S. Lewis presents his view of friendship, which is motivated by appreciation love, in his book The Four Loves in a manner seeming to correspond to Aristotle’s concept of Virtue Friendship. Lewis also presents his perception of Companionship, which seems to correspond to Aristotle’s notion of Use and Pleasure Friendships. Lewis presents a more modern and seemingly accurate rehabilitation
Aristotle wrote on many subjects in his lifetime but one of the virtues that he examines more extensively is friendship. Aristotle believes that there are three different kinds of friendship: utility, pleasure, and virtuous friendships. He also argues that a real friendship should be highly valued because it is a complete virtue and he believes it to be greater than honor and justice. Aristotle suggests that human’s love of utility and pleasure is the only reason why the first two types of friendships exist. Aristotle also argues that humans only set up these types of relationships for personal gain. But when he speaks of the virtuous friendships, Aristotle states that it is one of the greatest attainments one can achieve.
“The silver friend knows your present and the gold friend knows all of your past dirt and glories. Once in a blue moon there is someone who knows it all, someone who knows and accepts you unconditionally, someone who is there for life.” This is a quote I read once in an article by Jill McCorkle. I wrote it down and posted on my wall. McCorkle’s description of a “gold friend” describes a friendship that I have with a group of girls who mean the world to me.
Friendship is the most wonderful relationship that anyone can have. Ideally a friend is a person who offers love and respect and will never leave or betray us. Friends can tell harsh truths when they must be told. There are four different types of friends: True friends, Convenient friends, Special interest friends, and historical friends. To have friendship is to have comfort. In times of crisis and depression, a friend is there to calm us and to help lift up our spirits.
Life teaches us a lot of things. But none is a better teacher than friendship (Importance of Friendship). There is one person who knows who I really am and that is my best friend, Danny. Friendship is a special love. Finding a true friend is always hard. So when one is found, it is important to hang on tight. The greatest gift of life is friendship, and I have received it. Growing up, I was the girl that was confident, strong, and had all the answers. No one had fully ever understood me or my actions, I was constantly on the move, keeping myself busy with any task or activity I could get my hands on, and I never told anyone the entire truth to why that was. My appearance to always seeming assured, formidable and dependable could be imputed to one prevailing time period, but was separated into hundreds of different memories of my past, each with their cause and effect. However, it started with one substantial hit, afflicting me in my teenage years.