1. A virtuous person has self-love.
A. Self-love includes desiring what is good for oneself
2. In order for a friendship to be true, it has to have certain qualities.
A. A friend is someone who desires good for the friend's sake (1166a)
B. Friends have mutual enjoyments and activities (1166a)
C. Friends spend time together (1166a)
D. Friends make the same choices (1166a)
3. The key aspects of a good friendship originate from one's relationship with oneself (1166a)
A. A virtuous and good person has a balanced soul (1166a)
B. He wishes to be good and strives to achieve goodness through his actions (1166a)
C. He wishes to live well and healthy (1166a)
D. He wishes to spend time with himself (1166a)
4. One is related to a friend in the same way one is related to himself (1166a)
A. A virtuous man perceives himself as good (1170b)
B. A virtuous man finds his existence to be choiceworthy (1170b)
C. This same virtuous man finds a true friend's experience to be equally choiceworthy (1170b)
D. A man perceives his friend's being as he perceives his own (1170b)
It might be helpful to expand on self-love because Aristotle makes it clear that there are two distinct kinds of self-lovers: one whose life is guided by reason (desires what is fine) vs. one whose life is guided by feelings (desires what is advantageous) and only the first one is virtuous (1169a5). I think you did a good job of highlighting the defining features of friendship in the second premise. I also think the third premise fits really well. Perhaps you could include the contrast of the vicious person to further support your conclusion. For example, vicious people are incapable of self-love and of friendship because… (explain). Aristotle also makes the point of saying the relationship between parent and child is the best example of this friendship because a parent treats his child as himself/ loves his child as he loves himself (1161b28).
ReplyDeleteHey Mairead,
ReplyDeleteI understand what Aristotle is getting at by saying that we formulate friendship on common ground and similar interest as we have ourselves. But what about those relationships and friendships in which the other person helps us to grow in some aspects or are different and that is what appeals to us. The whole idea of a friend that could teach you and you could teach them something. That could possibly contradict what Aristotle has in your second premise where it says "Friends have mutual enjoyments and activities" or "Friends make the same choices." What do you think?
I think that your outline is very well organized and easy to understand. However, to strengthen it, perhaps you could mention what kind of friend you are referring to in your conclusion. Aristotle explains extensively about the three types of friendship—utility, pleasure, and goodness. Only the friendship based on goodness can lead to the conclusion of your outline. Premise 2 could be something like, "a friendship cannot be true if it is based on utility or pleasure". In 1158a12, Aristotle states, "no one can have complete friendship for many people" and later, “it is also difficult, presumably, for many to be good”. I think that it is important to state this fact because not all friendships can be one where "a friend is another himself".
ReplyDeleteI like this outline and I think it does a good job building up to the conclusion. I would definitely add one thing to the section on friendship being true. Aristotle writes, "If you wish good things in this way, but the same wish is not returned by the other, you would be said to have [only] goodwill for the other. For friendship is said to be reciprocated goodwill" (1155b32-34). I think this statement by Aristotle is perfect for this outline because it shows how friendship has to be mutual to be true, and it describes the friend's role and self's role. It ties in to the subsection of the outline as well as the conclusion.
ReplyDeleteOverall, I think you did a good job developing your premises to lead to your conclusion. Your conclusion is clearly supported with evidence in premise three and four. However, it will benefit you if you specify which type of friendship you are addressing, whether it is pleasure, utility, or for the good. Something that grabs my attention, however, is premise 2D when you state that “friends make the same choices.” Therefore, I am curious if you would argue that a friendship where friends make different choices automatically makes it a bad friendship. Another question I have for you is “Do you see “self-friend” in a friend where they share the same traits but lack one?
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