Aristotle's Ethical Paradigms Of Friendship

Although the framework of a good friendship under this ethical paradigm seems to be very simple, Aristotle notes it as a key feature of a sustainable friendship among people. Because friends must, in fact, engage with one another in a sustained manner and be inclined to consistently derive pleasure and enjoy the other’s company, it follows that only friendships wherein this level of interaction is prioritized can result in a relationship that will last or remain good and true. Aristotle is clear to indicate how difficult it can be to engage fully with another and reach a level of amicability which makes it so that people will, indeed, want to share their time with each other. When one recognizes his own virtues and what he might wish to seek
In any case, however, Aristotle affirms that the benefits will be evident if two individuals do indeed invest the time to become familiar with one another and experience the other through love and attempts of friendship. In his own words, Aristotle speaks to this point by declaring that two friends must “spend their days together or delight in each other, and these are thought the greatest marks of friendship” (Aristotle 148). Of course, not every attempted transition from acquaintances to friendship (particularly after two people have become familiar, seen each other’s faults, and have noted the ways in which they are incompatible or of distinct moral code and virtue) can result in a successful or true friendship. Only men who are of good virtue and are able to bring delight and pleasure to themselves and offer it lovingly to the other are able to achieve a true friendship, and through becoming familiar with each other and the ideal virtues within the other, the relationship may come to
Formation of such friendship is far from simple; individuals who seek relations with others must first bear the burden of evading those who are of bad virtue, spend much time familiarizing themselves with many different people in order to find commonality, and at the same time, introspectively put into question their own ideals, values, and virtues. Because of the inherent uncertainty involved in this mutual engagement of two people, it is therefore necessary that each man is willing to complete his duty in extending to the other his true sentiments and intentions of amicability, and that the other does the very