Aristotle’s investigation into the nature of friendship, as expressed in his book “Nicomachean Ethics,” looks into this human relationship’s significance, types, and characteristics. According to Aristotle, friendship is not a superficial association but a virtue, meaning moral goodness, and a significant factor in a worthwhile and virtuous life. For his part, Aristotle regards friendship as a virtue or, at the least, as involving virtue. It is a means to an end and a valuable and desirable state of being. The philosopher says that even though one has everything else, life still lacks fullness and enjoyment without friends. This idea reflects the vital significance that Aristotle accords to friendship for the sake of human flourishing.
One of Aristotle’s central claims is that friendship is necessary for living a good life. He argues that without friends, people would not want to live even if they had everything else in this world. It shows the central place of friendship on the scale of human values. Aristotle further states that even the wealthy and those in power need friends the most. Although they enjoyed material prosperity, the chance for benevolence was considered one of the most critical components of a successful life.
Furthermore, according to Aristotle, friendships are responsible for protecting and preserving wealth or prosperity. He says that the more you become prosperous, the more likely you are to be exposed to the risk. In this case, friends go beyond being companions to be the source of strength and aid when one needs support and protection. Aristotle’s insistence on friendship’s role in adversity sheds light on the fact that it provides refuge under challenging situations like poverty and misfortune.
“Aristotle distinguishes distinct types of friendship depending on motives, including utility, pleasure, and intrinsic goodness (Aristotle, 1). According to Aristotle, friendships based on utility are motivated by mutual benefits and reciprocity — the exchange of goods, services, or favors. People in such friendships are engaged with each other to serve their purposes and to get the benefits they can receive from being in such relationships. While Aristotle acknowledges the contingent nature of utility friendships, he emphasizes that they collapse once the utility or benefits cease. This kind of friendship is typically among business colleagues, workmates or associates with mutual gains or collective interests. It is instrumental, but the link will vanish or weaken if the expected benefits disappear or no longer exist.
According to Aristotle, friendships of pleasure are characterized by the enjoyment or gratification that individuals derive from each other’s company. Such friendships are typical for young people or those seeking immediate and sensory pleasures. Aristotle observes that the source of such friendship is pleasure, which is subject to change and results in frequent changes in the relationship. The pleasure from the friendship can be based on shared hobbies, activities, or physical attributes. Nevertheless, Aristotle notices that these friendships are less stable and enduring because the pleasures that uphold them may develop, and thus, the bond may be destroyed. For Aristotle, the friendship of the good (Perfect friendship) is the best and most virtuous principle of cooperation. This kind of friendship happens between two people who are not moved by utility and pleasure but are motivated by everyday intrinsic goodness and virtue. True friendship is recognized by and based on mutual love.
Furthermore, Aristotle addresses the temporality and conditions that contribute to the endurance of friendships. He asserts that perfect friendship is not only necessary but also noble. It is a manifestation of virtue, therefore being praised. Aristotle recognizes the rarity of such friendships, crediting it to the rarity of virtuous people. The philosopher argues that perfect friendship necessitates time, familiarity, and recognition of goodwill on both sides. The friendships based on utility or pleasure are temporary, but the perfect ones are lasting and characterized by equality, where each friend wishes the same good for the other as he does for himself.
Aristotle proceeds to explain that friendship entails loving and being loved, and the pleasure of being loved for the sake of it makes friendship attractive. He maintains that the particular virtue of friends is loving, and the ones whom their friends love are the ones who are praised. The unequals can be friends if they can find a way to equalize, and according to Aristotle, love is one of the main components of friendship. Lastly, Aristotle discusses different kinds of constitutions and their correlation with friendship. He mentions monarchy, aristocracy, and a constitution based on property qualification (timocracy) and their corresponding deviations (tyranny, oligarchy, democracy). For Aristotle, friendship and justice are related; the same persons and objects are involved. Friendship and justice, in the view of Aristotle, are dependent on society, and the extent of friendship is related to the extent of justice in a society.
Relevance to Relationships Involving Sex and Love
Aristotle’s opinions on friendship offer us a view into relationships that include sex and love. The philosopher highlights the various motivations behind friendships, including utility and pleasure. Relationships founded on the principle of pleasure, such as those between youth, are characterized by emotional intensity and an attempt to satisfy immediate desires. Aristotle ascertains that these relationships are inclined to change quickly as the source of pleasure varies. Additionally, he focuses on friendships based on utility, claiming that they occur more often among older people or those in their prime, looking for mutual advantages. Aristotle’s discussion in the context of relationships that involve sex and love recalls the idea that some connections might be motivated by immediate gratification or the quest for utility. Still, these may not necessarily be deep or lasting friendships.
Moreover, Aristotle’s mention of the scarcity of perfect friendships between virtuous people points out the difficulties of finding deep, long-lasting relationships in the romantic sphere. This framework stimulates thinking about the drives and traits foundational to true and lasting unions and brings a philosophical view of love and friendship.
Work Cited
Aristotle, 3. Nicomachean ethics. ReadHowYouWant. com, 2006. https://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/nicomachaen.8.viii.html
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