Marilyn Friedman's Impact On The Value Of Family

Morals are a person’s belief system of what is fundamentally right and wrong. One’s morality is shaped and molded throughout life, and is constantly evolving and fluctuating. Many factors influence one’s morals, such as, events in life, environments, and people which surround an individual. Two of the most influential groups of people which impact one’s morals are family and friends. One would think family has the greatest impact on morals. Since family, more specifically parents or guardians, lay the base work of morality. Parents ascribes onto their children the beginning of a moral code. However, it is friends which have the greatest impact on a person’s belief system and moral principles. Since people are born into families, individuals …show more content…
Foremost, Friedman gives some characteristics a friendship must have in order to allow moral expansion. As mentioned previously, friendship is voluntary with only some “limits imposed by certain external constraints” (Friedman 209). The act of choosing friends is significant, because one chooses who to associate with and partake in intimate discussions and activities. By the act of choosing friends one also chooses who to trust and be honest with. This is another characteristic Friedman believes to be essential for friendship and moral growth. When trusting friends people are able “to let down […] defenses, reveal [their] deeper selves, and [one does] this voluntarily only if [one] trust the friend not to take advantage of a knowledge of [one’s] vulnerabilities” (Friedman 211). Trust, honesty, and sincerity allow for friends to show each other various world views and standpoints which may be drastically different from their own. (Friedman 198). One final characteristic Friedman, and several other philosophers, believes is needed for the basis of a good friendship is a mutual feeling. Friedman believes, “the mutual commitments between and among friends should evolve together” (Friedman 215). This means friends must recognize the commitment of friendship. It takes work to grow alongside each other. Mutual feeling, voluntary action of friendship, trust, honesty, and sincerity are …show more content…
Marilyn Friedman lays the ground work for features and traits needed for a strong friendship, which includes voluntarism, trust, honesty, sincerity, and mutualism. These strong characteristics lead to moral advancement. Friedman believes this is done by showing different viewpoints and looking to the past. An expanded argument can be supported with the additions of the characteristic maturity and empathy. Moreover, by including a greater emphasis on the importance of pleasure and utility friendships, the ability to recognize moral development is increased. Some philosophers will disagree with points made, most notably on the important characteristics needed for moral growth in friendships. These criticisms are flawed since the basis of a friendship needs to be rooted in trust and honesty in order for a friendship to allow for moral expansion. The importance of friendship to moral growth should not be overlooked. When individuals realize friends do have the ability to affect one’s morality, one becomes more aware of changes undergone. By being aware of a friend’s moral code, people can take into account how friends will affect one’s own moral code; both positively and negatively. This will allow one to choose friends with better values and principles, thereby, expanding and enriching one’s moral