Complete Friendships and “Decent” Individuals
In the Nichomachean Ethics, Aristotle states that there are three distinct types of friendship: utility, pleasure, and complete. Both utility and pleasure friendships are fueled by self-gain defined by usefulness or pleasantness. These friendships are coincidental and easily dissolve due to lack of foundation among many other factors. Aristotle believes the ultimate friendship between two individuals is complete friendship. In this enduring relationship, both parties wish the same good on the other as one would wish upon oneself. Aristotle specifies that this friendship is only viable between two people of similar, high virtuous standards. Vicious persons would not partake in this, as they would
Within Aristotle’s framework, these friendships are relatively superficial and do not require a significant amount of time, effort, or concern. However, a complete friendship must still have some virtue present due to its intrinsic meaning. Truly vicious people only care for themselves and place little to no importance on anyone else. Regardless of the other party, even if one is of the utmost virtue, vicious people are steadfast in this mindset. This would manifest itself quickly in the friendship. Therefore, at least some virtue must be present within both individuals to create a truly meaningful friendship beyond self-benefit. Without any virtue, actions of compassion or selflessness would never occur, diminishing the idea of complete friendship and mutual
As Aristotle also suggests, anyone who is not completely virtuous will find no enjoyment or pleasure in engaging in a complete friendship-the individual would be too egocentric. Problems in this dynamic would quickly bubble to the surface, and the friendship will have little hope of enduring. This is commonly why friendships of pleasure and utility tend to quickly dissolve; they lack a deeper moral respect that only complete friendships possess. Further, this type of friendship will have a strong imbalance due to lack of reciprocity and symmetry. If either person is more virtuous than the other, this would have the strong possibility of translating into feelings of neglect and unworthiness. Aristotle asserts that complete friends must possess the same virtue for these
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.
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.
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.
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
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...)
As previously mentioned, Aristotle has identified three different types of friendships. The first is friendship based on utility. This is a friendship in which both parties become involved with each other for their own personal benefit. An example would be a working relationship with an individual. These are people who do not spend much time together, possibly because they do not like each other, and therefore feel no need to associate with one another unless they are mutually useful. They take pleasure from each other’s company just for their own sake. Aristotle uses the elderly and foreigners as examples of friendships based on utility.
Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics discusses virtue as a disposition to act in a manner that is a mean between excess and deficiency. In the following, friendship will be shown to be a virtue by explaining the different kinds of friendship. Beginning by understanding what a virtue is for Aristotle will show that friendship is a desirable state of character and help prove it is a virtue. By contemplating the value of friendship and it’s importance to the moral good of human action, the paper will show that friendship is a virtue. Reflecting upon these topics will finally point to the fact that friendship is a virtue.
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...
This viewpoint differs from Aristotle’s ideas on friendship. He believed the key principles were pleasure, utility, and virtue. Augustine saw friendship as a negative aspect of life whereas, Aristotle saw it as an essential part of life. Lauren Pangle, author of Aristotle and the Philosophy of Friendship, regards friendship as, “both necessary and noble, and the ways in which the necessity and nobility of friendship are intertwined.” The need for friendship is defined as “rich and broad” including “the needs not only for survival but also for natural fulfillment.” Aristotle argues that friendship is good for us and makes us content. While on the other hand, Augustine believes friendship is a destructive concept that leads people to
One example of a virtue that is a mean between two vices is that of good temper. To the average person, a simple definition of good tempered can be put together by anyone. If one was to ask the average college student what good temper was he or she might say it is the ability to keep calm in situations that one might not agree with. Although Aristotle would argue, based on his assumption that one must life in a “mean” life, it is important to not sway towards either extreme he states that when actions are justified, it is ok to act out towards one extreme: “The man who is angry at the right things and with the right people, and, further, as he ought, when he ought, and as long as he ought, is praised” (73). Not only does Aristotle define when it is ok to be angry, he implies that sometimes swaying to one end of a virtue is encouraged by saying that the man who does this in the right way is praised. There are many different ways and times that people are praised. Another aspect of praise is who is doing the praising. More times than not, friends are a person’s best cheerleader and always there to congratulate someone. Aristotle notes that friendships are important in life. That being said, what kinds of friendships exist and what is to be gained from each
In his Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle works to foster a more precise understanding of complex ideas including justice and friendship. Of course, he assigns varying levels of importance to qualities depending on how necessary they are to becoming a happy and self-sufficient individual, which he sees as the ultimate aim for human beings. As such, he seems to create a hierarchical structure in which aspects that push an individual closer to happiness are effectively superior to those which do not. Yet, as he develops the ideas of friendship and justice more, dividing them into their constituent categories, the hierarchy between them begins to become more obscured, suggesting that, rather than the two existing in service of one or the other, the
Friendship is an important factor in the life of a human being. Development in human beings requires some aspects of bonding to form a social life. The bonding forms an essential aspect of living referred to as friendship. It forms one of the main theories of human nature. For instance, Aristotle contributed a lot to the philosophy of friendship followed by his counterpart Cicero. Cicero used a metaphor in explaining his understanding of friendship where he referred friendship as the sun of life where apart from wisdom, indicates the best gift God gave to the human fraternity. The paper would focus on philosophical differences and similarities between Cicero and Aristotle understanding of friendship.
II In Books VIII and IX, Aristotle discusses the role of friendship in the good life.
Aristotle uses a rather categorical approach to friendship. By making strict delineations and then using examples, he establishes a rather strict definition of friendship that is created along lines of social class. He argues, among other things, that friendship must be between similarly virtuous men of equal standing. In addition, the purest form of friendship, and the one that Aristotle considers the only genuine friendship, involves that of two men and that is free from outside reciprocation.
Aristotle is a well-known philosopher, who lived from 384 BC through 322 BC, having been born and spending most of his life in Greece. According to William Turner, in the Catholic Encyclopedia, his father was physician to the King of Macedonia, and other ancestors of Aristotle’s likely also held this position. Aristotle’s parents probably planned for him to receive a medical education so he also could become a physician, but both of his parents died while he was still a child. As he approached the age of 18, he was sent to school at the university of another great and well-known philosopher, Plato.