Nicomachean Ethics: Why Friendship is Essential and Not Fickle
In book VIII of Nicomachean Ethics Aristotle expounds upon the concept of friendship. In order to understand all that Aristotle means by friendship one must first know that there are three categories of friendship: friendship of utility, friendship of pleasure, and the perfect friendship. After analyzing the paradigms of each of these relationships he comes to the conclusion that friendship is crucial to life. He declares: “For without friends no one would choose to live” (VIII 1158a.5-6). From this statement Aristotle proceeds to deduce that friendship is both noble and necessary. Relationships are necessary in light of living and therefore imperative to life itself. Furthermore friendships are worthy of praise and therefore noble. The concept of friendship, having been deemed a necessary and noble part of life, demands further investigation into two distinct facets of friendships. Through examining the object of love in each category of friendship and the duration of the relationship one may come to know why Aristotle asserts that life itself is dependent upon friendship.
The object of love is the first determining …show more content…
On the one hand individuals must experience friendships in order to live a good life. As earlier explained friendships are a necessary and noble part of an individual’s life. But perhaps even more profoundly is the realization that friendship is a necessary response to the dignity of all human life. Life is a sacred gift from the Creator and therefore God yearns for his people to recognize the gift of life. I believe that friendship is an answer to the reality of the sanctity of life. If one understands the dignity of a human person and moreover the reality that each individual is made in the image and likeness of God one must love another simply because they
In book VIII of Nicomachean Ethics Aristotle expounds upon the concept of friendship. In order to understand all that Aristotle means by friendship one must first know that there are three categories of friendship: friendship of utility, friendship of pleasure, and the perfect friendship. After analyzing the paradigms of each of these relationships he comes to the conclusion that friendship is crucial to life. He declares: “For without friends no one would choose to live” (VIII 1158a.5-6). From this statement Aristotle proceeds to deduce that friendship is both noble and necessary. Relationships are necessary in light of living and therefore imperative to life itself. Furthermore friendships are worthy of praise and therefore noble. The concept of friendship, having been deemed a necessary and noble part of life, demands further investigation into two distinct facets of friendships. Through examining the object of love in each category of friendship and the duration of the relationship one may come to know why Aristotle asserts that life itself is dependent upon friendship.
The object of love is the first determining …show more content…
On the one hand individuals must experience friendships in order to live a good life. As earlier explained friendships are a necessary and noble part of an individual’s life. But perhaps even more profoundly is the realization that friendship is a necessary response to the dignity of all human life. Life is a sacred gift from the Creator and therefore God yearns for his people to recognize the gift of life. I believe that friendship is an answer to the reality of the sanctity of life. If one understands the dignity of a human person and moreover the reality that each individual is made in the image and likeness of God one must love another simply because they