Aristotle and the Philosophy of FriendshipCambridge University Press, 2002 M11 14 - 255 pages This book offers a comprehensive account of the major philosophical works on friendship and its relationship to self-love. The book gives central place to Aristotle's searching examination of friendship in the Nicomachean Ethics. Lorraine Pangle argues that the difficulties surrounding this discussion are soon dispelled once one understands the purpose of the Ethics as both a source of practical guidance for life and a profound, theoretical investigation into human nature. The book also provides fresh interpretations of works on friendship by Plato, Cicero, Epicurus, Seneca, Montaigne and Bacon. The author shows how each of these thinkers sheds light on central questions of moral philosophy: is human sociability rooted in neediness or strength? is the best life chiefly solitary, or dedicated to a community with others? Clearly structured and engagingly written, this book will appeal to a broad swathe of readers across philosophy, classics and political science. |
Contents
| 1 | |
1 The Challenge of Platos Lysis | 20 |
2 The Three Kinds of Friendship | 37 |
3 Aristotle and Montaigne on Friendship as the Greatest Good | 57 |
4 Friendships in Politics and the Family | 79 |
Political Friendship at Its Best | 105 |
6 Quarrels Conflicting Claims and Dissolutions | 123 |
7 Friends as Other Selves | 142 |
8 Goodwill Concord and the Love of Benefactors | 155 |
9 SelfLove and Noble Sacrifice | 169 |
10 Friendship in the Happy Life | 183 |
Notes | 201 |
| 243 | |
| 251 | |
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Common terms and phrases
action activity affection Altruism argues argument Aristotle says Aristotle's benefactor benefits Blossius Bolotin Book choiceworthy choose Cicero claims common concern deepest desire devotion dialogue Diogenes Laertius discussion of friendship enjoy Epicureans Epicurus equal especially Essays Ethics Books Eudaimonia Eudemian Ethics evil extent fact feel friendships of pleasure friendships of utility give goodwill greatest happiness honor human human bond important justice Laelius Laelius's less life’s live Lysis Magna Moralia man’s marriage means Menexenus merely mind Montaigne Montaigne’s moral virtue nature never Nicomachean Ethics nobility noble Odysseus one’s oneself pain Pakaluk parents perfect friendship perhaps philosophy Plato pleasant Plutarch political community possible precisely problem question reason reward root rule sacrifice sake Scipio seek seems self-love self-sufficiency sense serious share simply Socrates soul Stoics suggests superior Tecmessa things thought timocracy true friendship truly ultimately unequal friendships virtuous wisdom wise wish