Summary Of Aristotle's Notion Of True Friendship

The Notion of True Friendship and One-sided Relationships
In Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, he claims that the best kind of friendship as one where equity on both sides is emphasized and present, and recognition of both sides mutual admiration for each other. Although others might argue one-sided friendships can often fail due to the lack of perceived mutual admiration or reciprocation, I argue against this view. In order to defend this argument I will present and explain Aristotle’s notion of true friendship, compare and contrast his descriptions of three kinds of friendship and further expand on my argument and the counterargument, to help prove my point. According to Aristotle, friendship is a virtue necessary for a happy life. Humans are inherently social animals; our lives are driven by finding the good in ourselves and others through interpersonal communication and social activities. Since the prime virtue is justice, or just behavior or treatment, the ultimate goal of expressing ourselves through conversation is to bring out the good in others. Consequently, this leads to the development of philia, or friendship, which is …show more content…
True friendships are grounded the basis of an individual’s character and emphasizes the goodness, or moral excellence, of said character. In addition, Goodness is an enduring quality, so friendships based on goodness tend to be long lasting. Mutual affection comes about when the individuals practice goodness and see the goodness within each other. However, affection and love must be dominant must be dominant within the relationship, such as spending extended periods of time with each other. Another quality of a true friendship is trust, or the firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something. In a friendship, both individuals must trust that each other’s intentions are based in goodness and