People for the most part, are social beings who fill their lives with other people and name them friends. More often than not, we are always trying (or willing) to add new people to our group of friends. Books VIII and IX of Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics focus exclusively on the issue of friendship. Aristotle understood the importance of friendship. Today friendship is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as "one joined to another in intimacy and mutual benevolence independently of sexual or family love". Aristotle's account of friendship is more complex than this simple, modern definition. This essay will outline Aristotle's account of friendship as presented in Books VIII and IX of the Nicomachean Ethics.
Aristotle places much importance on friendship. This is clearly stated throughout Books IIIV and IX, beginning with the opening where he claims, "For friendship is a virtue, or involves virtue; and also it is one of the most indispensable requirements of life. For......
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Approximate Word Count: 1324
Approximate Pages: 6 (260 words per double-spaced page) |