He gives three distinctions on how human beings make choices. They are based on whether they provide pleasure, usefulness, or are simply beautiful actions. It is from here that the relationship between virtue and friendship is conveyed. Aristotle attributes the same three choice-making elements (pleasure, usefulness, and beautiful actions) to describe friendship. For example, he points to that some human beings are friends for pleasure. More specifically, one person enjoys the presence of another person (e.g. enjoying being around humorous individuals). Also, people may be friends in order to get something in exchange (e.g. being friends with a rich individual). Yet, according to Aristotle, friendships based on these two former conditions are not genuine friendships since they do not hold virtue. For Aristotle, friendships not based on pleasure or usefulness, but rather on simply being beautiful, are genuine in the aspect that virtue is involved. In other words, “the complete sort of friendship is that between people who are good and are alike in virtue, since they wish for good things for one another in the same way insofar as they are good, and they are good in themselves” (147). To further expand, this concept also extends to being friends with oneself; one must be friends “beautifully” with him/herself. And in doing so, a person’s virtue or goodness will pour from them onto others. As far as my active engagement, it was centered on Aristotle’s virtue of generosity. From this week-long engagement, I opted to donate to various organizations that I came across. One way in which I did it was by giving monetary donations to any charitable cause I encountered (e.g. at convenience stores when asked if I wished to donate and
He gives three distinctions on how human beings make choices. They are based on whether they provide pleasure, usefulness, or are simply beautiful actions. It is from here that the relationship between virtue and friendship is conveyed. Aristotle attributes the same three choice-making elements (pleasure, usefulness, and beautiful actions) to describe friendship. For example, he points to that some human beings are friends for pleasure. More specifically, one person enjoys the presence of another person (e.g. enjoying being around humorous individuals). Also, people may be friends in order to get something in exchange (e.g. being friends with a rich individual). Yet, according to Aristotle, friendships based on these two former conditions are not genuine friendships since they do not hold virtue. For Aristotle, friendships not based on pleasure or usefulness, but rather on simply being beautiful, are genuine in the aspect that virtue is involved. In other words, “the complete sort of friendship is that between people who are good and are alike in virtue, since they wish for good things for one another in the same way insofar as they are good, and they are good in themselves” (147). To further expand, this concept also extends to being friends with oneself; one must be friends “beautifully” with him/herself. And in doing so, a person’s virtue or goodness will pour from them onto others. As far as my active engagement, it was centered on Aristotle’s virtue of generosity. From this week-long engagement, I opted to donate to various organizations that I came across. One way in which I did it was by giving monetary donations to any charitable cause I encountered (e.g. at convenience stores when asked if I wished to donate and