How Does Aristotle's First Three Types Of Friendship Present In Human Nature
In the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle explains that there are three types of friendship present in human nature. The first friendship is based on utility, which are those that do not love each other for their personal traits but rather only wish to derive some benefit from each other. Aristotle explains that the elderly most frequently engage in friendships based on utility (Book VII, 115a, 25-30). The second friendship is a friendship of pleasure, where both people are drawn towards the other’s personal wit, looks or other similar pleasant qualities. Aristotle gives the example of young people fitting in this category, because their regulated by their feelings, and their chief interest is their own pleasure and the opportunity of the moment. (Book
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They are accidental in the sense that in these particular cases, the friends are motivated by their own utility and pleasure, and are not essential to the natures of the other parties. I believe that these kinds of friendship are short lived because a person’s needs and pleasures alter over the span of their life. It is the friendship based on goodness that is the best friendship to achieve and it is the most enduring of all three sorts of friendships. Aristotle gives reasoning in support of this in Book eight “Accordingly the friendship of such men lasts so long as they remain good; and goodness is an enduring quality” (Book VIII, 1156b, 10-15). I think such friendships are very rare, take more time to develop in comparison to the other two friendships of utility, and pleasure, but it is the most rewarding to a good man. I believe that bad men cannot be friends for the sake of goodness, for reasons of pleasure or utility, and that only good people can achieve this type of friendship and be friends of goodness for each other’s
They are accidental in the sense that in these particular cases, the friends are motivated by their own utility and pleasure, and are not essential to the natures of the other parties. I believe that these kinds of friendship are short lived because a person’s needs and pleasures alter over the span of their life. It is the friendship based on goodness that is the best friendship to achieve and it is the most enduring of all three sorts of friendships. Aristotle gives reasoning in support of this in Book eight “Accordingly the friendship of such men lasts so long as they remain good; and goodness is an enduring quality” (Book VIII, 1156b, 10-15). I think such friendships are very rare, take more time to develop in comparison to the other two friendships of utility, and pleasure, but it is the most rewarding to a good man. I believe that bad men cannot be friends for the sake of goodness, for reasons of pleasure or utility, and that only good people can achieve this type of friendship and be friends of goodness for each other’s