I took nichomacean ethics as one of my philtext courses and i bought the audiobook as well as the book itself. According to aristotle, these are shallow and easily dissolved. In the nicomachean ethics what would be an argument. Bad people can be friends for reasons of pleasure or utility, but only good people can be friends for each others sake. Aristotle on friendship based on virtue nicomachean. Aristotle also clarifies that while loving is a feeling, friendship is a state.
Aristotle addresses the topic of friendship in book 8 and 9 of his nicomachean ethics. After this, the next step would be a discussion of friendship, since it is a virtue or involves virtue, and is an absolute necessity in life. Sacred texts classics aristotle index previous next chapter 8. This friendship encompasses the other two, as good friends are useful to one another and please one another. This video focuses on aristotles work, the nicomachean ethics, and examines his discussion in book 8 about the most paradigmatic but also.
In this excerpt from his book, aristotle defines three types of friendship. Nicomachean ethics5 good judge of that subject, and the man who has received an allround education is a good. Goodness is an enduring quality, so friendships based on goodness tend to be long lasting. It is a central text in greek ethics, a primary source of medieval ethics, and a. Friendship, then, is more necessary in bad fortune, and so it is useful friends that one wants in this case. Friendship, affection, and family relations lecture video breakdowns in friendships handout the features of friendship. Aristotle on friendship based on virtue nicomachean ethics book 8. For no one would choose to live without friends, but possessing all other good things. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans.
A summary of book viii in aristotles nicomachean ethics. Happiness is the end of all human actions and it determines the ethical behaviour. Nicomachean ethics book eight summary and analysis. Questions for reflection nicomachean ethics book 8 discussion forum nicomachean ethics book 8. Questions for reflection nicomachean ethics book 6. In book viii of the nichomachean ethics, aristotle discusses three types of friendship. Aristotle on friendship book 8 of the nicomachean ethics. In the nicomachean ethics what would be an argument against aristotles book 8 friendship. Since justice, friendship, and community are closely related, it is far worse to abuse a close friend or family member than it is to abuse a stranger. The nicomachean ethics of friendship teaches us that each connection with another person is rooted in some desire, pleasure, or goodness. The contemplative life, on the other hand, even if it requires a community to nurture and. In books viii and ix of his masterpiece of moral philosophy, the nicomachean ethics, aristotle gives perhaps the most famous of all philosophical discussions of friendship. Aristotle sets out a number of conditions essential to friendship in any. Three central ideas or arguments constitute the scope of the book.
Friendship then being divided into these species, inferior people will make friends for pleasure or for use, if they are alike in that respect, while good men will be. Aristotle 385 bce 322 bce was an ancient greek philosopher and scientist. Im not sure which angle i can take and what would be an effective argument. This video focuses on aristotles work, the nicomachean ethics, and examines his discussion in book 8 about the most paradigmatic but also least common form of friendship philia. But aristotles arguments are sophisticated enough that are difficult to. When goodness and, thus ethical principles, guide our motivations, we are honored with incredible, long lastingfriendships. People can share their prosperity with friends during good times, and friends can help guard their riches.
This video is one component in a set of online courses covering aristotles entire nicomachean ethics. Some of aristotles bestknown works on ethics can be found in his book nicomachean ethics, which was published in approximately 340 bce. The nicomachean ethics is an actionoriented work meant to give the reader practical advice for living a good life, similar to a modern selfhelp book. Aristotle on friendship book 8 of the nicomachean ethics february 7, 2011 february 20, 2011 neel burton after what we have said, a discussion of friendship would naturally follow, since it is a virtue or implies virtue, and is besides most necessary with a view to living. For all friendship is for the sake of good or of pleasuregood or pleasure either in the abstract or such as will be enjoyed by him who has the friendly feelingand is based on a certain resemblance. This is all about friendship, which aristotle first defines and then breaks down into three types. Nicomachean ethics by aristotle the internet classics archive. One of the merits of aristotles approach to ethics is that it aims to be practical and, therefore, faithful to how human beings actually are. Friendship is a virtue or at least involves virtue. Friendship, then, is more about loving than being loved, and loving is the virtue of friends.
Such friendship is rare and takes time to develop, but it is the best. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of nicomachean ethics and what it means. Michael pakaluk presents the first systematic study in english of these books, showing how important aristotles treatment of friendship is to his ethics as a whole. Friendship, virtue and happiness essay examples 933 words 4 pages in the writings of aristotle, seen in nicomachean ethics, it is evident that aristotle believes that friendship is necessary for a virtuous and therefore happy life. Aristotle, nicomachean ethics, book 8, chapter 1, section 1. Friendship nicomachean ethics, books 8 and 9 chapter 9.
Friendship based on pleasure is higher than that based on usefulness. These include 94 lecture videos, 45 downloadable handouts and worksheets, 10 quizzes, 39. Even if someone had everything else they needed, they would not want to live without friends. Earlier in both works, both the nicomachean ethics book iv, and the equivalent book in the eudemian ethics book iii, though different, ended by stating that the next step was to discuss justice. Nicomachean ethics study guide contains a biography of aristotle, literature essays, a complete etext, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.
Friendships necessary even for the wealthy and young, who need protection and saving from mistakes. Another kind of friendship is that in which one of the parties is superior, such as the friendship between a parent and a child. This friendship encompasses the other two, as good friends are useful. He explains what is necessary for complete friendship to exist, including the need for friends to live together in order to see. But in a secondary degree the life in accordance with the other kind of virtue is happy. Currently, in my class i am working on a debate against aristotles arguments of friendship. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. In this first level of friendship, people expect to derive some benefit from each other. Another kind of friendship is that in which one of the parties is. This is a handout developed for my students as they study aristotles nicomachean ethics books 89, focused specifically on the nature of friendship. It is necessary to life, since no one would choose to live without friends even if he had all other material goods.
The first is friendship for utility or pleasure, in which a friend is. For this reason, friendship is what many natural law theorists call a genuine human good, something in human life which it. Book i 1 every art and every inquiry, and similarly every action and pursuit, is thought to aim at some good. Friendship requires decision, which comes from a state. Friendship in book 8 and 9 of aristotles nicomachean ethics. Pakaluks fresh and scrupulously accurate translation is. For these reasons, both what is useful and what is pleasant seem to be found in this friendship. This core concept video focuses on aristotles nicomachean ethics bk 8 and 9 discussions of the nature of friendship.
Not a few things about friendship are matters of debate. Friends are a refuge in times of poverty and misfortune, they help to guard the young from error, they help the old in their weakness, and help those in the prime of life to perform noble actions. Commonlit three types of friendship excerpt from the. The work had a very significant impact on the western political thought in general and the ethical studies in particular. Nicomachean ethics aristotle faculty of social sciences. Justice and friendship are closely connected, as both tie communities together. Nicomachean ethics by aristotle, part of the internet classics archive. The internet classics archive nicomachean ethics by. Aristotle defines friendship as reciprocated goodwill, of which there are three types. Michael pakaluk presents the first systematic study in english of these books, showing how important aristotlestreatment of friendship is to his ethics as a whole.
Aristotle says that just as virtuous behavior improves an individual, friends have the potential to generate improvements upon each others lives. In these relationships the two friends give and receive different things and also have different types of affection toward each other. The question of whether or not an act is voluntary helps to determine whether its an instance of injustice or notfor example, if harm is inflicted beyond the reasonable expectation of the person causing it, then its a misfortune, not an injustice. Moreover, people in their prime need friends to enrich their own capabilities. Affection can be felt even for inanimate objects, but the reciprocal affection which is the basis of friendship involves deliberate choice, and such choice involves the action of a disposition. Book vi of the nicomachean ethics is identical to book v of the eudemian ethics. Aristotle makes the argument that friends can be regarded as second selves. The nicomachean ethics of friendship based on utility. Friendship is a permanent disposition expressed or realized in friendly activities. In this video, professor thorsby discusses aristotles nicomachean ethics book viii. This book centers the discussion on the topic of friendship. Aristotles nicomachean ethics is perhaps one of the most influential treatise on moral philosophy. Also, the friendship of good people is one of equality.
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